Bloomberg Reports Trump Told Close Aides No Additional Sanctions on China
Presumed to Draw Line Against Further Deterioration Despite Continued Criticism
Sanctions on Private Firms Like Huawei, TikTok Proceed
[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Reports have emerged that U.S. President Donald Trump does not want to worsen relations with China and does not desire additional sanctions against Chinese officials beyond the current level.
President Trump signed an executive order to suspend Hong Kong's special status and a bill sanctioning banks that deal with Chinese and Hong Kong officials related to the Hong Kong National Security Law, escalating conflicts with China. However, behind the scenes, he showed a dual stance by avoiding further escalation. On the same day, Trump instructed the State Department to consider granting refugee status to Hong Kong residents.
Bloomberg News cited sources on the 15th (local time), reporting that President Trump told his aides he would not take additional actions that would worsen relations with China. Anonymous sources said, "Officials drafted a sanctions list including Carrie Lam, Hong Kong Chief Executive, and Han Zheng, Chinese Vice Premier, but President Trump opposed it."
This indicates that although President Trump signed the bill sanctioning Chinese and Hong Kong individuals related to the enforcement of the Hong Kong National Security Law, he opposes its actual implementation.
The day before, President Trump broadly criticized China regarding the Hong Kong National Security Law and the COVID-19 pandemic, signing an executive order to revoke Hong Kong's special status and a bill sanctioning banks that dealt with those threatening Hong Kong's autonomy.
The news agency pointed out that this decision reflects President Trump's personal choice, showing a tough stance on China publicly while holding a different position internally.
However, regulations on private companies are accelerating. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that U.S. visas would be restricted for Huawei officials involved in human rights abuses. This adds a human rights violation frame to the existing espionage allegations against Huawei. Pompeo also responded regarding possible sanctions on the video-sharing app TikTok, stating, "We are conducting a comprehensive review to prevent Americans' information from falling into the hands of the Chinese Communist Party."
He further criticized China's South China Sea territorial claims as "completely illegal," noting dramatic changes in the South China Sea situation. He emphasized that the U.S. will use all means to support countries that believe their sovereignty has been violated by China. In a separate statement that day, Pompeo said President Trump instructed special attention be given to granting refugee status to Hong Kong residents from a humanitarian perspective, adding that it would serve as a means to hold accountable those responsible for undermining Hong Kong's freedom.
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