Beijing, China:
China mentioned Thursday it will impose sanctions on US officials who have “performed badly” more than Hong Kong concerns, in response to restrictions slapped on Chinese officials this week more than Beijing’s harsh clampdown on the city.
The economic hub was rocked by pro-democracy protests final year that have been largely halted by a sweeping national safety law imposed by Beijing, drawing criticism more than eroding rights from nations which includes the US.
On Monday, the US mentioned it was freezing any US assets and barring travel to the United States for 14 vice chairs of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, which spearheaded the difficult new law.
In response, China would impose “sanctions on US executive officials, congressional personnel, non-governmental organisation personnel… who have performed badly on Hong Kong-related issues,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a press briefing Thursday.
Their instant loved ones members would also be impacted, Hua mentioned.
She mentioned the government had also decided to cancel “visa exemption treatment” for short-term visits to Hong Kong and Macau by US diplomatic passport holders.
The moves have been “in view of the United States using Hong Kong-related issues to seriously interfere in China’s internal affairs,” she mentioned, calling for the US to “stop going further down a wrong and dangerous path.”
No information about when the sanctions would turn into active or the individuals they would influence have been offered.
The United States has currently slapped sanctions on Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing leader, Carrie Lam.
China’s rubber-stamp parliament pushed by way of the draconian new safety law in June.
Critics say it decimates the freedoms after enjoyed in Hong Kong, enshrined in an agreement produced prior to the 1997 handover from British colonial rule back to China.
China says the law and prosecution of critics is necessary to restore stability following final year’s massive and frequently violent protests.