China sanctions US lawmakers, officials over Hong Kong, Taiwan moves

Name: Hong Kong police arrest 53 opposition lawmakers and activists, warn of more arrests
Uploaded: 2021-01-18T09:10:06.000Z
Duration: 2 min 29 s
Description: Hong Kong police arrest 53 opposition lawmakers and activists, warn of more arrests

Beijing says it will target American personnel in response to Washington’s bans triggered by mass arrests in Hong Kong

US efforts to forge stronger links with Taiwan will also be met with retaliatory action, Chinese foreign ministry says

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China has announced sanctions on US officials and lawmakers. Photo: Photo: AFP

Sarah ZhengandCatherine Wong

Published: 5:10pm, 18 Jan 2021Updated: 3:01pm, 24 Feb 2021

China has announced sanctions on US officials and lawmakers in response to similar US action last week over the political crackdown in Hong Kong and Washington’s efforts to forge links with Taiwan.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday that the United States had “blatantly intervened” in Hong Kong by imposing sanctions on six mainland Chinese and Hong Kong officials over the mass arrest of more than 50 pro-democracy politicians and activists in the city.

Without naming the targeted individuals, Hua said Beijing would impose reciprocal sanctions on US officials, lawmakers and non-profit staff who were “primarily responsible for the vile actions on Hong Kong” and their family members.

“The US must immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong’s affairs and immediately stop using various pretences to interfere in China’s internal affairs, endangering China’s national security,” she said, adding the US was going along a path of “error and danger”.

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Hong Kong police arrest 53 opposition lawmakers and activists, warn of more arrests

The US State Department said its latest sanctions targeted those linked to Beijing’s sweeping national security law in Hong Kong, including Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong’s sole representative to China’s top legislative body, and You Quan, vice-chairman of Beijing’s Central Leading Group on Hong Kong and Macau Affairs.

Outgoing US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also called on mainland Chinese and Hong Kong officials to “immediately release” individuals who had been targeted under the national security law and said that the US would “continue to use all tools at our disposal to hold those responsible to account”.