U.S. State Dept warns China over new Hong Kong security law

The United States on Thursday warned China against imposing a new national security legislation on Hong Kong, saying a high-degree of autonomy and respect for human rights were key to preserving the territory's special status, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said.

"Any effort to impose national security legislation that does not reflect the will of the people of Hong Kong would be highly destabilizing, and would be met with strong condemnation from the United States and the international community," Ortagus said.