The European Union is preparing countermeasures on China in response to Beijing’s new security law on Hong Kong, the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said on Monday. However, diplomats said the likely steps will not amount to economic sanctions.

They see “broad support” among EU member states for some action, adding, however, that tough measures were not being discussed in detail, Reuters said. The cited problem is resistance from China’s closest trade partners in Europe, such as Hungary and Greece.

“We have agreed… to develop a coordinated EU response to show support for Hong Kong’s autonomy and civil society,” Borrell said after a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers in Brussels. He said nothing specific had been decided but that EU ministers had discussed extending the EU’s export ban on “sensitive technology” to Hong Kong.

EU governments could announce national steps separately, according to Borrell. Finland said it supported the idea of suspending extradition treaties with Hong Kong.

Source: RT