Suspend Hong Kong status in event of China crackdown - U.S. commission

Riot police officers remove bricks from a street, left by anti-government demonstrators, in Central, Hong Kong, China November 14, 2019. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress should enact legislation that would suspend the special economic status Hong Kong enjoys under U.S. law should China deploy forces to crush protests in the territory, a congressional advisory body said on Thursday.

The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), which is tasked with monitoring the national security implications of U.S. relations with Beijing, issued the call in its annual report among a series of tough proposals reflecting a "markedly more confrontational" relationship.