A military operation against Hong Kong protesters could trigger a rupture in U.S.-China relations that makes the trade war look minor in comparison, U.S. lawmakers and analysts suggest. “If Beijing cracked down on Hong Kong, it would require a fundamental reassessment of our relations with their country, the kind that should have happened after Tiananmen Square,” Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton said Tuesday.
Chinese officials have intensified their criticism of the political crisis in recent days, accusing the protesters of engaging in “terrorist activities.” Those denunciations followed a series of implicit threats to use the People’s Liberation Army to put down the protests. But that tactic could come at a political and economic cost for China, as the United States would likely reverse the policies that give Hong Kong a special status for trade and economic relations with the West.
