U.S. imposes sanctions on Hong Kong officials
The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam along with the current and former police chiefs and eight other officials for their role in restricting political freedoms in the territory.
The sanctions were imposed under an executive order U.S. President Donald Trump signed last month to punish China for its moves against dissent in Hong Kong.
This move serves as the latest action by the Trump administration against Beijing in the run-up to Trump's November re-election bid.
A statement by the U.S. Treasury Department said that Beijing's imposition of draconian national security legislation is, "setting the groundwork for censorship of any individuals or outlets that are deemed unfriendly to China."
Adding, “The United States stands with the people of Hong Kong and we will use our tools and authorities to target those undermining their autonomy.”
The sanctions freeze any U.S. asset of the officials and generally bar Americans from doing business with them.
Last month, Carrie Lam postponed a Sept. 6 election to Hong Kong's legislature by a year because of a rise in coronavirus cases, dealing a blow to the pro-democracy opposition that had hoped to make huge gains.
The United States condemned the action, saying it was the latest example of Beijing undermining democracy in the Chinese-ruled territory.
A source familiar with the matter said U.S. deliberations on the sanctions intensified after the election postponement.
