The United States’ continual attack on Hong Kong is like a hail of bullets bouncing off a steel wall. Week after week, the US administration and its glory-seeking politicians attack Hong Kong for no apparent reason except, of course, to kill the goose that lays the golden egg for China.

On Sept 11, the US House of Representatives voted in favor of a bill that could see the closure of Hong Kong’s three trade missions in the US. They passed the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) Certification Act, which requires the US president to “remove the extension of certain privileges, exemptions, and immunities to the HKETOs in the US if they determine that Hong Kong no longer enjoys a high degree of autonomy from the People’s Republic of China”, according to Hong Kong Watch. The bill now has to go to the Senate, which also must pass the bill before it can be signed into law by US President Joe Biden.

How they are going to prove that Hong Kong no longer enjoys a high degree of autonomy will be interesting.

It is doubtful if it will pass these two final stages. Accordingly, there will be serious consequences, as warned by the Hong Kong Special Administration Region government, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Chinese Embassy in Washington.

However, it is more likely that the US president will consult his trade and commerce advisers before putting pen to paper and will use his power to veto the proposal.

Only one week before the Congress circus had its fun, the US administration issued a business advisory, warning American businesses about “potential risks” doing business in Hong Kong; and a week before that, it issued another advisory for Americans not to visit Hong Kong, citing the national security laws.

On Sept 6, a joint effort by the US departments of State, Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security and the Treasury issued a Hong Kong business advisory warning that “the imposition of bounties may negatively affect businesses’ staff, finances, legal compliance, reputation and operations”.

What a load of hogwash!

About 70,000 Americans living in Hong Kong can testify that this is rubbish, otherwise they wouldn’t be here. Since the handover in 1997, more Americans than British citizens are residing in Hong Kong. And about 1,300 American companies are operating in Hong Kong, employing about 10 percent of our workforce.

The joint statement was issued under the umbrella of the mindless State Department, which has nothing better to do than to meddle in other countries’ affairs. Its policy for the Asia-Pacific region is to contain China as much as possible and to use any means possible, such as meaningless advisories, to obtain its objective. It includes multiple sanctions against various people, companies and goods. And although Hong Kong is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in its own right, the dictatorial US has decreed that the label “Made in Hong Kong” cannot be used on any goods exported to the US.

Hong Kong welcomes overseas investment and offers an environment in which there is a free flow of capital and a return on investment without exchange controls

The advisory warned that businesses operating in Hong Kong face potential legal, regulatory, operational, financial and reputational risks, including increased scrutiny, potential financial penalties and legal actions for perceived violations of the National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.

Wow! All of that without a shred of evidence. The Americans living here must feel embarrassed by the proliferation of false narratives from the State Department. The Americans in Hong Kong are a vital part of the community. They are well respected and contribute significantly to the city’s welfare. They have their own schools and clubhouses, and both the US’ major political parties, Democrats and Republicans, have branch representatives in Hong Kong and a lively chamber of commerce, the largest outside the US. Well-known American icons have been established in Hong Kong. Starbucks has 164 coffee shop outlets, and fast-food chain giant McDonald’s has a local staff of over 15,000, with 256 outlets.

They all are doing well without any local government interference. So, contrary to what the State Department says, Hong Kong has always adhered to its policy of positive nonintervention. The only possible government intervention would come from the US itself. The advisory warns that any businesses operating in Hong Kong face conflicting jurisdictional requirements and liability in connection with (US-imposed) sanctions compliance efforts. “Failure to adhere to US sanctions can result in civil and criminal penalties under US law,” the statement read. So, yes. Americans be warned: Uncle Sam is watching you.

The US-imposed sanctions have had some impact on US-Hong Kong trade, which in 2023 was about 6 per cent down on the previous year. But it is still big business and worth about $60.3 billion. In fact, the US is about the sixth-largest source of external investment in Hong Kong.

US enterprises are firmly entrenched in Hong Kong by establishing 214 regional headquarters, 419 regional offices, and 640 local offices with parent companies located in the US. Further, Hong Kong is recognized as the financial hub of Asia and hosts 151 licensed banks, of which 10 are from the US.

Hong Kong welcomes overseas investment and offers an environment in which there is a free flow of capital and a return on investment without exchange controls.

With such high activity by American enterprises in Hong Kong, the business advisory issued by the State Department is mere scaremongering to scare off potential investors. It means little and is not worth the paper it’s written on.

The author is a former chief information officer of Hong Kong government, a PR and media consultant, and a veteran journalist.

The views expressed are not necessarily those of China Daily.