China announced on Friday that it was imposing sanctions on several US citizens in response to US sanctions against seven deputy directors and the director of Beijing’s Hong Kong Liaison Office.
The person with the highest profile among the sanctioned is former US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.
In addition, China said it would also target US-China Economic and Security Review Commission Chair Carolyn Bartholomew, former Congressional Executive Committee Director for China Jonathan Stivers, DoYun Kim of the National Democratic Institute, Deputy Director of the Adam King International Republican Institute, Sophie Richardson, director of Human Rights for China, and the Democratic Council of Hong Kong.
“The actions taken by the US violate international law and the basic norms of international relations and seriously interfere in China’s internal affairs. “China strongly opposes these actions and strongly condemns them,” Beijing said in a statement.
“Hong Kong affairs are China’s internal affairs,” he said. “Any attempt by outside players to interfere in the affairs of Hong Kong is a clear obstacle,” the statement said.
“I have to say that this is just noise and distraction. “We have work to do and these sanctions will not distract us from doing our job at all.” “I wish the Chinese government to focus its efforts on ending crimes against humanity committed against Uighurs and other serious human rights crimes.”
“To be honest, I’m much more concerned about the status of human rights defenders across China. “This is what matters,” said the director of Human Rights for China.
In addition to sanctioning Chinese officials, the United States recently issued a warning to U.S. companies about the risk of their operations in Hong Kong.
The sanctions are the first to be imposed by China under a law passed in June and come just days before US Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman pays a visit to China.
