Washington lets emergency declaration on HK lapse

The US yesterday said it did not renew a national emergency declaration over Hong Kong, leading to the lifting of partial sanctions, but added that an executive order that revoked its special trading status remains in place.China earlier said Washington had confirmed that the Executive Order on Hong Kong Normalization would end, in what appeared to be a sign that the city’s preferential privileges might be restored.However, a US Department of State spokesperson said US President Donald Trump “allowed the national emergency to end, but Executive Order 13936 otherwise remains in effect.” Containers pile up at Kwai Chung Container terminal in Hong Kong on April 8 last year. Photo: AP The order states that Hong Kong is no longer sufficiently autonomous to justify differential treatment in rela