Hong Kong has condemned a US Senate Committee for passing a bill that could shut down the city’s three economic and trade offices in America if the financial hub isn’t deemed significantly autonomous from Beijing.

The legislation amounts to “gross interference in the affairs of Hong Kong,” the government said in a statement late Friday. The offices will continue to “tell the good stories” and “refute erroneous reports and clarify misconceptions without fear or favour,” it added.

The bill, known as the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act, could lead to the end of immunities and exemptions for the city’s US-based trade offices, or have their operations shut down altogether. US Republican lawmakers have accused the agencies of serving as a “mouthpiece” for the Chinese Communist Party.

The bill is the latest sign of strained relations between Hong Kong and Washington since the city passed a Beijing-drafted national security law in 2020. The US has since repeatedly criticized China for suppressing free speech and eroding judicial independence in the financial hub. The bill is expected to proceed to the full Senate for a vote, while companion legislation has also been introduced to the House of Representatives.