Hong Kong’s government on Saturday called a new round of US sanctions against six Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials “insane and shameful.” Among those sanctioned was the director of the Chinese central government’s national security office in Hong Kong and Hong Kong’s sole delegate to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee.
The United States announced the sanctions on Friday, accusing the officials of involvement in the early January arrests of 53 pro-democracy activists under a new national security law.
In a statement, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the sanctions were for “coercing, arresting, detaining, or imprisoning individuals under the authority of, or in developing, adopting, or implementing” the law.
Pompeo called for the immediate release of individuals and condemned the People’s Republic of China for “actions that erode Hong Kong’s freedoms and democratic processes.”
Hitting back, the Hong Kong government called the sanctions “insane and shameful.””I and my colleagues are discharging an honourable duty to prevent, stop and punish in accordance with the law acts and activities endangering national security. We will not be intimidated,” Chief Executive Carrie Lam said.
Discussion about this post