By Kanis Leung
Hong Kong (AP) – China will sanction officials, legislators and US leaders in non -governmental organizations who, according to him, have “performed” on Hong Kong issues, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.
In March, the United States sanctioned six Chinese and Hong Kong officials who, according to him, were involved in the “transnational repression” and acts threatening to further eroding the autonomy of the city. The officials included the Secretary of Justice Paul Lam, the director of the security office Dong Jingwei and the former police commissioner Raymond Siu.
In a reproduction of reprisals against Washington, DC on Monday, the spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry Guo Jiakun in Beijing said that China had firmly condemned acts, describing them as “despicable”. The United States has seriously interfered in Hong Kong affairs and violated the principles of international law, he said
“China has decided to impose sanctions on members of the US Congress, managers and managers of NGOs who have misused the questions related to Hong Kong,” said Guo, adding that the answer was made in accordance with the anti-cancer law.
It has not provided more details on which is targeted.
Guo also issued a warning concerning Hong Kong, saying that affairs of the Southern Chinese city are not subject to American interference. All the actions considered to be bad by the Chinese government which are taken on problems linked to Hong Kong will be encountered with firm countermeasures and reciprocal reprisals, he said.
The sanctions in tit-form on the human rights problems of Hong Kong are the last sign of increase in tensions between Beijing and Washington, which are already locked in a trade war that has shaken businesses on both sides.
Beijing warned other countries separately against trade agreements with the United States at the expense of China.
The American sanctions against the officials in March were not the first linked to the former British colony, which returned to Chinese domination in 1997. During the first presidential mandate of Donald Trump, his government imposed sanctions in Hong Kong and Chinese officials for having undergone the autonomy of Hong Kong.
In 2021, the administration of former president Joe Biden struck more sanctions against those responsible for the repression of Beijing against political freedoms in the semi-autonomous city.
Since China imposed a national security law in 2020 to repress the 2019 massive anti -government demonstrations, the Hong Kong authorities have continued many main militants in the city. The media known for their critical relations on the government have closed their doors following arrests of their senior direction. Dozens of civil society groups have dissolved.
Over the past two years, Hong Kong authorities have issued arrest mandates against 19 activists based abroad, with $ 1 million bonuses in Hong Kong ($ 128,536) for information leading to each of their arrests. Some of them resided in the United States
The repression of several years aroused criticism of foreign governments, in particular because the city has been promised, its civil freedoms in Western style and its semi-autonomy would be maintained intact for at least 50 years during the 1997 transfer.
The governments of Beijing and Hong Kong insist that the law is necessary for the stability of the city.
Tian MacLeod Ji contributed to this Bangkok report.
Originally published:
California Daily Newspapers
