The United States supports Hong Kong's autonomy by concluding and implementing bilateral agreements; promoting trade and investment; arranging high-level visits; broadening law enforcement cooperation; bolstering educational, academic, and cultural links; and supporting the large community of U.S. citizens and visitors.

On the world stage, Hong Kong is an active member of the global coalition against terrorism, and has joined the Container Security Initiative and remains an important partner with regard to eliminating funding for terrorist networks and combating money laundering.

Hong Kong has passed legislation designed to bring it into compliance with applicable UN anti-terror resolutions and Financial Action Task Force recommendations.

[13][14][Notes 1] On June 24, U.S. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said "we're just not buying that this was a technical decision by a Hong Kong immigration official.

The New York Times writes, “Fueled by anger toward the police, as well as the slow erosion of civil liberties, the largely leaderless protests morphed into a broader, more complicated movement about protecting freedoms, democracy and Hong Kong's autonomy.

The US believes human rights are universal, and has a long-standing policy that China should honor its agreements on Hong Kong" and that "It is the United States’ long-standing policy that China honor its commitments to protect those rights, as outlined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984, an international treaty filed with the United Nations.

[24] On 29 May 2020, United States' President Donald Trump ordered to remove the exemptions that give Hong Kong special status in America due to the PRC's new national security law for the territory.

These agreements cover the surrender of fugitives, transfer and convicted prisoners as well as reciprocal tax exemptions on income from international shipping.

U.S. national security advisor Robert O'Brien accused China of violating its international commitments and threatened additional sanctions against Chinese officials who were "responsible for extinguishing Hong Kong's freedom”.

In response to the recent barring of pro-democracy legislators, O'Brien said that the “‘One country, two systems’ is now merely a fig leaf covering for the CCP's [Chinese Communist Party] expanding one-party dictatorship in Hong Kong".

It is critical that the United States and all allies of freedom come together to recognise and condemn the undeniable and far reaching ramifications of this authoritarian power grab, which has wiped out what little remained of Hong Kong's democratic political system and violates China's treaty obligations.”On December 17, 2023, the U.S. State Department again called for Jimmy Lai's release shortly before his trial was set to begin.

"[32] The Hong Kong government maintains Economic and Trade Offices in Washington, D.C., New York City, and San Francisco.

[34] By contrast, the US consuls-general posted to Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenyang report to the deputy chief of mission of the US Embassy in Beijing who is directly subordinate to the US ambassador.

Hong Kong is also a full member of the World Trade Organization and maintains a separate customs territory from mainland China.

Together with the U.S., Hong Kong is also an independent member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and Financial Action task Force.

[2] Hong Kong enjoyed a high degree of autonomy as a separate customs territory, with no changes to borders, staffing, or technology export controls since the 1997 handover.

As one of the largest trading surplus partners with the United States, valued at $31 billion, Hong Kong maintains large imports of American aircraft and spacecraft.

Electric machinery, pearls, gold, diamonds, works of art, meat, and fruit and nuts are also significant imports from Hong Kong.