The United States Department of State is advising Americans to reconsider travel to Hong Kong. According to the ministry, the security law introduced this year causes arbitrariness among police officers.
“Since the introduction of the security law on June 30, China has exercised unilateral and arbitrary power in Hong Kong,” said the ministry.
China wants to exert too much influence in Hong Kong, according to the US. For example, police officers controlled by the Beijing government would not have to be accountable to the Hong Kong leadership.
Foreign citizens who criticize Chinese policy can also be arrested just like that, the ministry says.
China and the US have been regularly clashing recently over the growing Chinese power in Hong Kong. The city-state became part of China again in 1997, under strict conditions.
For example, Hong Kong would fall under a different, less authoritarian system. However, China wants to gain more influence in Hong Kong in recent years.