Vice President Mike Pence said Monday that chances of a trade deal with China would diminish if Hong Kong's laws are violated, also criticizing the country's human rights violations as antithetical to American ideals.
"We don't want China's markets to suffer. In fact, we want them to thrive," Pence said during a speech at the Detroit Economic Club. "For the United States to make a deal with China, Beijing needs to honor its commitments, beginning with the commitment China made in 1984 to respect the integrity of Hong Kong's laws through the Sino-British joint declaration," Pence said. "As the President said yesterday, it would be much harder for us to make a deal if something violent happens in Hong Kong."
