By the US removing the special status of Hong Kong, it signals that the Chinese government has broken its treaty with the UK, which the USA recognized. By not recognizing the status, it frees Hong Hong to declare independence because the agreement has already been broken by China. Not that they will. They will probably he crushed... but
Another way to look at it, is that China is basically now invading a U.K. territory, in the eyes of the USA, and within the international framework, because they have broken the agreement
Great Britain could justifiably move in with their troops to defend Honk Kong, with US backing, to defend their territory. I doubt there is the political will to do that though
Hong Kong is the economic interface that the closed Chinese economic system has with the rest of the world in terms of capital flows and currency exchange. It was at one time of the worlds biggest exporters, but after the handover, it basically transformed itself into a massive money laundering operation for the CCP. The reason China has been taking control of Hong Kong, decades early, in a heavy handed way in the last couple of years, is because they are desperately trying to get control of those capital flows, which they now depend on more for their survival because of the tariffs and de-coupling.
This action by the USA puts pressure on China’s system which is massively leveraged. It’s also allows Hong Kong to legally declare independence, if they want, from China as it signals they are in violation of the treaty with the U.K.
Booster rockets re-usable. Unlike old days where they sink to the bottom of the ocean