brussels the european union criticized china on friday for asserting more control over hong kong and suggested the move would have an impact on chinaeu relations but the 27nation bloc ruled out taking any action against its major trading partnerthe criticism came after eu foreign ministers weighed the need for a tougher policy on china which has been accused of trying to influence european officials against the potential damage to business ties between the asian economic giant and the worlds biggest trading bloceu member nations are often divided in their approach to china but beijings imposition of a national security law on hong kong a chinese territory that is supposed to have a high degree of autonomy under a onecountry two systems framework seems to have galvanized themwe express our grave concern at the steps taken by china eu foreign policy chief josep borrell said after chairing a video meeting of the foreign ministers this risks to seriously undermine the one country two systems principle and the high degree of autonomy of the special administrative region of hong kongborrell told reporters our relations with china are based on mutual respect and trust i want to underline this respect and trust but this decision calls this into questionthe national security law approved in beijing could severely restrict opposition political activity and civil society in hong kong where the prodemocracy opposition sees the move as an assault on the territorys autonomythe united states has called on china to back off on the security law the uk government warned that it would extend the visas and possibly provide a path to citizenship for some british passport holders from hong konggerman foreign minister heiko maas said that hong kongs high degree of autonomy cannot be undermined we expect that the freedoms and rights for the citizens to be protected through their basic law and the one country two systems principleasked what action the eu might be prepared to take and whether sanctions were discussed borrell said there was only one country that made a reference to the issue of sanctions i dont think that sanctions are the way to resolve our problems with chinahe said the bloc will continue trying to put pressure on the chinese authorities to make them aware that the clampdown on hong kong will affect the way we deal with some of the issues of mutual interest but there is nothing more on the agendaborrell described fridays meeting as a brainstorming on china policy and partly a preparation for an euchina summit scheduled to take place in the german city of leipzig in september if the status of the coronavirus pandemic allowshe described the country as a competitor a partner an ally a rival everything at the same time so its a complex relationship that cannot be reduced to a single dimensionin recent weeks borrell has been forced twice to deny that the external action service the eus equivalent of a foreign office has bowed