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China to Retaliate With Sanctions 04/21 06:17
HONG KONG (AP) -- China will sanction United States officials, lawmakers and
leaders of non-governmental organizations who it says have "performed poorly"
on Hong Kong issues, the foreign ministry announced.
The U.S. in March sanctioned six Chinese and Hong Kong officials who it
alleged were involved in "transnational repression" and acts threatening to
further erode the city's autonomy. The officials included Justice Secretary
Paul Lam, security office director Dong Jingwei and former police commissioner
Raymond Siu.
In a retaliatory move against Washington, D.C., on Monday, Chinese foreign
ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun in Beijing said China strongly condemned the
acts, calling them "despicable." The U.S. has seriously interfered in the
affairs of Hong Kong and violated international law principles, he said
"China has decided to impose sanctions on U.S. congressmen, officials, and
NGO leaders who have performed poorly on Hong Kong-related issues," Guo said,
adding the response was made according to the anti-foreign sanctions law.
He did not provide more details about who is being targeted.
Guo also issued a warning about Hong Kong, saying the southern Chinese
city's affairs are not subject to U.S. interference. Any actions considered
wrong by the Chinese government that are taken on Hong Kong-related issues will
be met with firm countermeasures and reciprocal retaliation, he said.
The tit-for-tat sanctions over Hong Kong's human rights issues are the
latest sign of rising tensions between Beijing and Washington, which are
already locked in a trade war that has rattled businesses on both sides.
Beijing separately warned other countries on Monday against making trade
deals with the U.S. to China's detriment.
The U.S. sanctions on officials in March were not the first related to the
former British colony, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997. During Donald
Trump's first presidential term, his government imposed sanctions on Hong Kong
and Chinese officials for undermining Hong Kong's autonomy.
In 2021, former President Joe Biden's administration slapped more sanctions
on officials over Beijing's crackdown on political freedoms in the
semi-autonomous city.
Since China imposed a national security law in 2020 to quell the 2019
massive anti-government protests, Hong Kong authorities have prosecuted many of
the city's leading activists. Media outlets known for their critical reports of
the government shut down following arrests of their top management. Dozens of
civil society groups disbanded.
Over the past two years, Hong Kong authorities have issued arrest warrants
for 19 activists based overseas, with bounties of $1 million Hong Kong dollars
($128,536) for information leading to each of their arrests. Some of them
resided in the U.S.
The years-long crackdown has drawn criticism from foreign governments,
especially because the city was promised its Western-style civil liberties and
semi-autonomy would be kept intact for at least 50 years during the 1997
handover.
The Beijing and Hong Kong governments insist the law is necessary for the
city's stability.
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