The Hong Kong government has condemned Washington for extending sanctions imposed on local officials through to November 2019.
US President Joe Biden signed the US$895 billion (HK$6.94 trillion) National Defense Authorization Act on Monday – an annual piece of legislation that funds US defence and directs foreign policy. The massive package extended section seven of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act for five years.
US President Joe Biden. File photo: White House.
The section grants the US president powers to identify any foreign persons that allegedly harm “freedom and autonomy” in Hong Kong and empowers them to impose sanctions.
Sanctions include blocking individuals’ assets in the US and bans them from receiving travel visas.
Established in November 2019, the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act was a response to human rights concerns during the 2019 protests and unrest.
Under the law, the US – in August 2020 – imposed sanctions on the then-Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and 10 senior figures, including the then-security chief John Lee, now the city’s chief executive, and the then-police commissioner Chris Tang, who is now the secretary for security.
Carrie Lam, Eric Chan, John Lee, Teresa Cheng, Zhang Xiaoming, Zheng Yanxiong, Stephen Lo, Luo Huining, Chris Tang, Erick Tsang and Xia Baolong, were among those sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2020 over issues in Hong Kong. File photo: HKFP compiled.
The section, and any sanctions made under it, formerly expired on December 20. However, the White House extended the measures on Monday to cover a full decade following their enactment.
In response, a spokesperson for the Hong Kong government released a statement on Thursday to express its strong disapproval: “The US openly clamour[s] for so-called ‘sanctions’ with an aim to intimidate HKSAR officials who resolutely safeguard national security… The HKSAR despises the so-called ‘sanctions’ and will not be intimidated by such a despicable behaviour. The HKSAR will resolutely continue to discharge the duty of safeguarding national security.”
US ‘taking steps’ towards fresh sanctions
Earlier in November, the US announced it would “take steps” to impose new visa restrictions on Hong Kong officials after 45 of the city’s most prominent pro-democracy advocates were sentenced to prison on November 19.
US Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement on Tuesday that the US “strongly condemns” the sentences meted out at Hong Kong’s largest national security case, which ranged from four-years-and-two-months to 10 years.
President Joe Biden. Photo: Adam Schultz/White House, via Flickr.
In response, Beijing in early December said that it will impose visa restrictions on US officials which had “interfered” in Hong Kong affairs.
Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, said that the US had “violently interfered in China’s internal affairs” by imposing visa restrictions on Chinese officials.
Neither Beijing nor Washington revealed the list of persons that would be affected. Nor did they disclose when the measures would come into effect.
