US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Photo: AFP

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement in the late evening on Wednesday (Beijing time) that reads, "No reasonable person can assert today that Hong Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy from China." He stated that Hong Kong "does not continue to warrant treatment under United States laws in the same manner as US laws were applied to Hong Kong before July 1997." He also said hypocritically, "We stand with the people of Hong Kong."

Whether Hong Kong has a high degree of autonomy must not be defined by the US. Washington is much too narcissistic. US politicians such as Pompeo arrogantly believe that Hong Kong's destiny is in their hands.

Pompeo is criticizing China's national security law for Hong Kong even before it is formulated. Pompeo represents the US' hysterical geopoliticization of everything that has to do with China.

The US only has one card, which is Hong Kong's separate customs territory status. However, this has been thoroughly studied by the Chinese side. If Washington wants to play this card, then let it do so. Hong Kong is the largest source of the US trade surplus, and there are about 85,000 US citizens in the Chinese city. Let's just wait and see how the US will suffer from its own move of canceling Hong Kong's separate customs territory status. 

Hong Kong has a special relationship due to its huge economic tie with the Chinese mainland. This is the city's biggest pillar to maintain its status as an international financial center. This is much more important than the US' attitude. China's strength determines that there will inevitably be an international financial center on its coastline. It will be wherever China wants it to be, actually. 

The US is a superpower, but its national strength has weakened in recent years because of this trade war and nonsense they push. Now, it is seriously ill. Pompeo better wear his face masks before he talks wildly.

The author is editor-in-chief of the Global Times. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn