China Threatens Retaliation Against U.S. House Bills

HONG KONG (AP) – China says it will take countermeasures after the U.S. House of Representatives passed three bills showing support for protesters in Hong Kong.  China’s foreign ministry said Wednesday in a statement posted to its website that the issues facing Hong Kong right now are not “so-called human rights and democracy,” but rather violence.  China said the House “ignores the facts, inverts black and white” and applies double standards to crimes like arson and vandalizing shops in the name of human rights and democracy.  If the bill is passed, China says, it will not only damage Sino-U.S. relations, but also harm U.S. interests in Hong Kong.  The semi-autonomous Chinese city has been rocked by anti-government demonstrations for four months.