Hong Kong’s government expressed its “utmost anger” toward a U.S. decision to sanction six officials from the city and China, calling the move “insane, shameless and despicable.”
The U.S. is attempting to “intervene” in the internal affairs of China and Hong Kong, and “obstruct” their efforts to safeguard national security, the city’s government said in a statement on Saturday. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Friday that the U.S. would sanction the officials as part of President Donald Trump’s executive order on Hong Kong normalization.
The move is the latest among a raft of measures the White House has taken to punish China after Beijing imposed national security laws in Hong Kong last year. The law has cast doubt on whether the former colony can still have the “high degree of autonomy” promised before the British handed it back to China in 1997. The U.S. has begun revoking the “special status” the city had enjoyed, and also sanctioned officials including Chief Executive Carrie Lam.
“The U.S. acts are displaying double standards and hypocrisy, let alone blatantly breaching international laws and basic norms governing international relations,” the Hong Kong government said in the statement. The excuse that the U.S. uses to sanction the officials was “lame” and “could hardly stand up to challenge,” it added.
A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong condemned the sanctions in a statement on Saturday, saying some Western politicians are “presenting a false picture” and beautifying those who are suspected of violating the National Security Law as “pro-democracy politicians and activists.”
Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2021-01-16/hong-kong-calls-u-s-sanctions-against-officials-despicable
US State Dept Press Release
Designating PRC and Hong Kong Officials After Widespread Pro-Democracy Arrests in Hong Kong
PRESS STATEMENT
MICHAEL R. POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE
Today, the United States is designating six PRC and Hong Kong officials in connection with the draconian National Security Law (NSL), pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13936, “The President’s Executive Order on Hong Kong Normalization.”
On January 6, Hong Kong authorities arrested more than 50 people in an appalling crackdown on pro-democracy politicians and activists who were trying to advance fair and open primary elections for Hong Kong’s Legislative Council. Thirteen former Legislative Council members, an American lawyer, and a former law professor were among those reportedly detained before being released on bail. This action by Hong Kong authorities is yet another stark example of Hong Kong’s freedoms and democratic processes being fundamentally undermined by the PRC.
In response, the Department of State is designating You Quan, Vice Chairman of the Central Leading Group on Hong Kong and Macau Affairs; Sun Wenqing AKA Sun Qingye, Deputy Director of the Office for Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR; and Tam Yiu-Chung, Hong Kong delegate to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, for being or having been leaders or officials of entities, including any government entity, that have engaged in, or whose members have engaged in, developing, adopting, or implementing the National Security Law. Additionally, the Department is designating Frederic Choi Chin-Pang, Kelvin Kong Hok Lai, and Andrew Kan Kai Yan, officials in the National Security Division of the Hong Kong Police, for being foreign persons who are or have been leaders or officials of an entity, including any government entity that has engaged in, or whose members have engaged in, coercing, arresting, detaining, or imprisoning individuals under the authority of, or in developing, adopting, or implementing, the NSL. All of these designations are pursuant to section 4(a)(iii)(A) of E.O. 13936.
The United States calls on the PRC and Hong Kong authorities to immediately release individuals who have been targeted under the NSL or other laws simply for exercising rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Basic Law and Joint Declaration, and to dismiss the charges against them. We condemn PRC actions that erode Hong Kong’s freedoms and democratic processes and will continue to use all tools at our disposable to hold those responsible to account.
Source: https://www.state.gov/designating-prc-and-hong-kong-officials-after-widespread-pro-democracy-arrests-in-hong-kong/
