Beijing, again, demands 'immediate' halt to U.S. bill on Hong Kong

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Beijing on Tuesday, once again, demanded an "immediate stop" to Washington's proposed bill on Hong Kong, days after the U.S. Congress passed its Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.

It's our internal affair: China slams U.S. Senate's passing of HK bill

The act legitimizes Washington's monitoring of the Asian financial hub in different respects, and it's now waiting for U.S. President Donald Trump's final say on whether it can be signed into law.

"China urges the U.S. to immediately (take effective measures) to prevent this bill from becoming law. We call on the U.S. to stay out of Hong Kong issues and stop interfering in China's internal affairs," said senior official Yang Jiechi during an interview with Xinhua.

Yang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, expressed his strong condemnation of the bill while reiterating China's firm determination regarding the "One Country, Two Systems" principle.

The mechanism grants Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy while staying integrated with the Chinese mainland.

"The U.S.' attempts to orchestrate the Hong Kong issue, interfere in China's internal affairs and hinder China's development won't work out," Yang stressed. "Hong Kong will surely enjoy long-term prosperity and stability under the mainland's firm support."

Earlier in the day, China's foreign ministry summoned the U.S. ambassador to Beijing, urging Washington to immediately correct its mistakes and prevent the bill from becoming law.

Expert: Washington has a history of interfering other nations' affairs

William Jones, Washington Bureau Chief of Executive Intelligence Review magazine, said Washington has a history of interfering into other countries' internal affairs. This time, their target is Hong Kong, one of the most important global financial hubs.

"The U.S. thinks it can weaken the Belt and Road Initiative in this way, and subsequently weaken China's influence through the initiative," the chief of the weekly news magazine based in Virginia told CGTN.