China summons US envoy, urges US to refrain from applying Hong Kong bill

AFP: China summons the US ambassador and threatens retaliation after President Donald Trump signed legislation supporting Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters.

Beijing urged United States to refrain fromapplying the newly passed Hong Kong Human Right and Democracy Bill.

Last week, the United States House of Representatives Passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act  by 417 to 1, a day after the Senate unanimously passed the measure, provoking an outcry from Beijing.

China has since been expressing anger  after the Senate's unanimous vote, warning of "strong countermeasures" if the bill becomes law, and summoning acting US charge d'affaires William Klein to lodge a protest.

There have been escalation of tensions in Hong Kong, as mass rallies gathered around Hong Kong Polytechnic University, with anti-riot police threatening to use "live rounds" in retaliation to violent protesters holed up in the besieged facility.

Last week, President Trump claimed Friday that were it not for him, Hong Kong "would have been obliterated in 14 minutes" by Chinese troops.

Trump said President Xi Jinping refrained from sending in the military against pro-democracy demonstrators in the semi-autonomous city only because he asked him to.

"If it weren''t for me, Hong Kong would have been obliterated in 14 minutes," Trump said.