Andy Chan Ho-tin to President Trump: Kick China and Hong Kong out of the WTO

Hong Kong independence advocate also called on President Trump to suspend Hong Kong's separate treatment from the mainland under U.S. law.

By Kelly Olsen

An outspoken Hong Kong politician who advocates independence for the financial and trade hub wrote to Donald Trump, calling on the U.S. president to get China and Hong Kong expelled from the World Trade Organization.
Andy Chan Ho-tin, a member of the Hong Kong National Party, has been criticized by Chinese and Hong Kong authorities for his stance in favor of independence for his city.

His party is under threat of a ban.
Mr Chan's letter, which does not mention Trump by name, but is addressed to "Mr. President," follows a closely watched speech and press conference last week. 

In that, he accused China of treating the city as a colony, blasted local officials for enabling an erosion of local rights and autonomy since Chinese rule commenced in 1997 and called on the United States to extend its trade war with China to Hong Kong.
"We are most grateful to see that the US administration under your leadership has been determined in implementing its tariff and trade policies against China, which has abused its trade relationship with the U.S. for years," Mr Chan said in the letter, dated Saturday.
He said that Hong Kong's separate membership in the WTO effectively means that Beijing has an extra seat and vote at the organization.
"This is obviously unfair and unjustifiable," said the letter, a copy of which was provided to CNBC by the Hong Kong National Party. 

Mr Chan said in it that he had sent a previous one to the president in February last year.
"The Hong Kong government is by no means independent or autonomous in exercising its member rights, but has only given an extra arm for China to exert its influences and abuse its 'developing country' status under the WTO system," Mr Chan said.
Gaining membership in the Geneva, Switzerland-based global trade body can take years. Hong Kong has been a member since 1995 and China entered the organization in 2001.
Mr Chan's called for the U.S. to target Hong Kong as part of the trade conflict in the talk last week at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Hong Kong, which Chinese and local officials tried to get cancelled. 

Mr Chan continued that theme in the letter, calling on President Trump to suspend Hong Kong's separate treatment under U.S. law, enshrined in the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992.
"For the local Hong Kong citizens to be empowered and a genuinely autonomous Hong Kong to flourish, both China and the present regime of Hong Kong, who are the enemies of civilization and fundamental rights, have to be first knocked down," he said.

Andy Chan Ho-tin: President Trump should target Hong Kong in trade war with China

• Andy Chan Ho-tin who advocates independence said the United States should extend its trade war with China to Hong Kong
• He says that could help Hong Kong preserve its autonomy and freedoms from communist China.

By Kelly Olsen

A Hong Kong politician wants the United States to sanction his city as part of its ongoing trade war with China in hopes of somehow achieving his dream of independence and democracy.
Analysts and investors largely agree that sounds far-fetched though some wouldn't completely rule it out.
Andy Chan Ho-tin, a member of the Hong Kong National Party, says China poses an increasing existential threat to local rights and freedoms since British colonial rule ended in 1997. 

He has become a local lightning rod, criticized by many Communists for advocating independence but also seen as a symbol of free speech after Chinese and Hong Kong officials called for a public address of his this week to be canceled.
In that address, he called for the U.S. to review legislation that governs its relations with the territory, condemn Hong Kong government officials for suppressing human rights and target mainland Chinese financial assets in Hong Kong.
"Think about how much more clout the U.S. would have on China if the current trade war extends to Hong Kong," he said Tuesday in the closely watched speech to the city's Foreign Correspondents' Club, adding that such a move could strike a real "economic blow" to Beijing.
"Many of the Chinese already store their actual capital here," Chan said.

While many analysts have expressed concern over the threat to Hong Kong posed in recent years by tighter Chinese control, experts deemed the city unlikely to play a role in the trade war.
"I think the Hong Kong issue is not something that is right up there on the Trump hit list," Tim Summers, a lecturer in Chinese studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told CNBC.
"The U.S. government's basic strategic interests are in Hong Kong continuing to be treated separate from the rest of China for all sorts of economic, financial, business reasons," he said. 

"And that's why these policy instruments are in place."

'Very strong'
The United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 allows Hong Kong to be treated as a "non-sovereign entity distinct from China for the purposes of U.S. domestic law," according to a State Department report to Congress in May, which noted the U.S. "recognizes Hong Kong as a separate customs territory."
Victoria Tin-bor Hui, an associate professor in the political science department at the University of Notre Dame, said that "no one will want to predict what Donald Trump is likely or unlikely to do," but she stressed it is important to understand the context of Chan's view on the U.S.
Hui said it reflects opinion among Hong Kong "localists" who think more U.S. pressure on China could stem growing Chinese influence, which they see as problematic even if they don't seek independence.
"The only country on earth that has any leverage on China is the U.S.," she said, describing their thinking.
The U.S. does express concern about political developments in Hong Kong, such as in the May report, which said Chinese central government actions were "inconsistent" with its promises to uphold Hong Kong's autonomy.
But that State Department report described trade relations with Hong Kong as "very strong," saying that the biggest U.S. bilateral trade surplus in the world, at $34.5 billion, is with the territory.
David Roche, president and global strategist at research firm Independent Strategy, said any hope that Hong Kong will become a pawn in the broader U.S.-China conflict shows a lack of understanding about how such geopolitical conflicts play out.
"His idea that the U.S. is going to some way ride into the equation and take measures which in some way help Hong Kong independence, that is just not on — even from Trump," Roche said.
Richard Harris, chief executive at investment manager Port Shelter, echoed the sentiment that the chances are low, but said it's not inconceivable Hong Kong could, rhetorically at least, end up in Trump's cross hairs the more protracted the conflict becomes.
"For Hong Kong, especially, I think it would be very damaging," Harris said. 

"I mean, this is a city that depends on trade, so any impact on trade is going to be negative."