By David Brunnstrom and Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States said on Friday it will impose new visa restrictions on a number of Hong Kong officials due to a crackdown on rights and freedoms in the Chinese-ruled territory.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that over the past year, China has continued to take actions against Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy, democratic institutions, rights and freedoms promised, including with the recent promulgation of a new national security law known as Article 23.
“In response, the State Department announces that it is taking steps to impose new visa restrictions on several Hong Kong officials responsible for escalating its crackdown on rights and freedoms,” Blinken said in a statement.
The statement did not identify the officials who would be targeted.
In November, Hong Kong condemned a U.S. bill calling for sanctions against 49 Hong Kong officials, judges and prosecutors involved in national security cases, saying U.S. lawmakers were grandstanding and trying to intimidate the city.
Officials named in the Hong Kong Sanctions Act included Justice Secretary Paul Lam, police chief Raymond Siu and judges Andrew Cheung, Andrew Chan, Johnny Chan, Alex Lee, Esther Toh and Amanda Woodcock.
The United States has previously imposed visa restrictions and other sanctions on Hong Kong officials accused of undermining freedoms and announced an end to the special economic treatment the territory has long enjoyed under U.S. law.
It also warned that foreign financial institutions doing business with them would be subject to sanctions.
The U.S. Hong Kong Policy Act requires the State Department to report annually to Congress on conditions in Hong Kong.
“This year I have again certified that Hong Kong does not warrant treatment under U.S. laws in the same manner as the laws applied in Hong Kong prior to July 1, 1997,” Blinken said, referring to when Hong Kong was returned to China. from Great Britain.
“This year’s report catalogs the PRC and Hong Kong authorities’ ongoing intensification and crackdown on civil society, the media and dissenting voices, including through the issuance of bounties and warrants of arrest for more than a dozen pro-democracy activists living outside Hong Kong,” Blinken said, referring to the People’s Republic of China.
The Commissioner’s Office of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong said the report and statements made by Blinken “confuse right and wrong” and “stigmatize” Hong Kong’s national security law and the city’s electoral system.
The threat to sanction Hong Kong officials “severely interferes” in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs, a spokesperson said in a statement released on Saturday.
“Instead of acting as the world’s policeman and issuing an ‘annual report on the Hong Kong Policy Act,’ the United States should take time to examine itself.”
The Chinese Embassy in Washington said it strongly regrets and firmly opposes US threats to “impose unjustified unilateral sanctions” on Hong Kong.
“The American side ignores the facts, makes irresponsible comments on Hong Kong affairs, and makes unfounded accusations” at the Chinese and Hong Kong governments, the embassy posted on its website.
“The United States should immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and other internal affairs of China,” the text reads.
US-funded Radio Free Asia said on Friday it had closed its Hong Kong bureau, citing concerns about staff safety after the new national security law takes effect.
Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to Chinese rule with the assurance that its high degree of autonomy and freedom would be protected under the “one country, two systems” formula.
In recent years, many politicians and pro-democracy activists have been jailed or gone into exile, and liberal media and civil society groups have been shut down.
This month, in a joint statement, 145 community and advocacy groups condemned the security law and called for sanctions for officials involved in its passage, as well as a review of the status of Hong Kong’s economic and trade offices around the world.