US to impose new visa curbs on Hong Kong officials over rights crackdown

The United States said on Friday it will impose new visa restrictions on several Hong Kong officials due to the crackdown on rights and freedoms in the Chinese-ruled territory.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that in the past year, China continued to take action against Hong Kong's promised high degree of autonomy, democratic institutions, and rights and freedoms, including with the recent enactment of a new national security law known as Article 23.

The statement did not identify the officials who would be targeted.

 

In November, Hong Kong condemned a US bill calling for sanctions against 49 Hong Kong officials, judges, and prosecutors involved in national security cases, saying that US legislators were grandstanding and trying to intimidate the city.

Officials named in the Hong Kong Sanctions Act included Secretary for Justice Paul Lam, Police Chief Raymond Siu, and judges Andrew Cheung, Andrew Chan, Johnny Chan, Alex Lee, Esther Toh, and Amanda Woodcock.

The US Hong Kong Policy Act requires the State Department to report to Congress each year on conditions in Hong Kong.

The Commissioner's Office of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong said the report and statements issued by Blinken confused right and wrong' and 'stigmatized' Hong Kong's national security law and the city's electoral system.

A spokesperson said on Saturday that the threat to sanction Hong Kong officials 'grossly interferes' with Hong Kong and China's internal affairs.

China's embassy in Washington said it strongly deplored and firmly opposed US threats to 'impose unwarranted unilateral sanctions' on Hong Kong.

US-funded Radio Free Asia said on Friday it had closed its Hong Kong bureau, citing concerns over staff safety after the new national security law was enacted.

Reuters