The WTO Dispute Settlement Body of the World Trade Organization has recently ruled that the United States requires Hong Kong products exported to the United States to be marked as made in China, which does not comply with WTO rules. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Hong Kong government agreed with this on the 22nd and urged the US to immediately withdraw relevant measures. However, the United States strongly opposed the ruling, stating that it “will not make concessions to the WTO on major security issues.”
A spokesman for the USTR said in a statement on Wednesday that the U.S. measures are in response to actions by the People’s Republic of China that are of great concern, including eroding Hong Kong’s autonomy and the democracy and human rights of the Hong Kong people, and threatening U.S. national security interests.
The statement stated that the United States will not revoke the relevant origin labeling regulations because of the report of the WTO, and will not hand over the decision-making power that is crucial to national security to the WTO. The need for sexual reform.
Yan Huixin, deputy executive director of the WTO and RTA Center of the Taiwan Institute of Economics and Economics, told Voice of Hope that the WTO ruling does not have much binding force. “According to WTO rules, as long as the court’s judgment is not officially accepted, it has no binding force on the two parties. (Although there is) an appeals court, (but) there are no judges two years ago, so it is still pending. “
The U.S. considered Hong Kong a separate customs territory until Hong Kong was handed over to Beijing. After the transfer of sovereignty, the United States maintained the one country, two systems treatment for Hong Kong because of Beijing’s commitment to it.
After Beijing enforced the Hong Kong National Security Law in 2020 and compressed Hong Kong’s free space, the United States decided to revoke Hong Kong’s separate customs zone treatment and apply the security exceptions allowed by the WTO to require all Hong Kong products entering the United States to be marked as originating in China.
Hong Kong then lodged a complaint with the WTO.
The spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong said on Thursday that the United States is trying to take the opportunity to discredit “one country, two systems”.
Song Chengen, deputy executive director of the Taiwan Constitutional Foundation, said that Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems” has been abolished by the CCP itself, which means that Hong Kong is no different from mainland China, but you want Hong Kong to be treated as two systems internationally. You can’t do this, right?
Song Chengen believes that for the United States, this is entirely a matter of its domestic law, and pointed out that this series of measures by the United States will not stop. position removed.”
Song Chengen also pointed out that there will still be issues of export restrictions on Hong Kong in the future. Especially the United States‘ sensitive high-tech and chip bans, Hong Kong may face the same treatment as mainland China.
“Actually, all countries should deal with it accordingly. The UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia are all similar. They just haven’t reached that stage yet. Taiwan’s people have been advocating that the Hong Kong and Macau regulations should be given to Hong Kong. The status is also canceled, that is, it is regarded as China, so in the long run, this matter should be decided in this direction.”