Comments by senior Chinese diplomat, Wang Yi

China US
  • China will never allow anyone to destroy HK's prosperity and stability
  • China will never allow anyone to undermine its one country, two systems principle

As mentioned earlier, as much as both sides will want to try and keep this separate to trade issues, it is inevitable that this will be part of what makes or breaks the main relationship between both countries in the bigger picture.

It is a similar line of thinking to how Huawei is also relevant in the overall standing of trade talks and other structural issues that are being discussed.