China on Monday (Nov. 30) responded to U.S. sanctions against a number of Chinese and Hong Kong officials for China’s imposition of Hong Kong’s version of the National Security Law by imposing sanctions against four U.S. non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for what it called “poor performance in Hong Kong-related issues,” banning them from entering China, including Hong Kong and Macau.
The U.S. State Department on November 9 designated four additional officials from Beijing and Hong Kong for sanctions. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that the officials were designated in connection with the implementation of Hong Kong’s version of the National Security Law and “threats to the peace, security, and autonomy of Hong Kong.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, responding to a question about the sanctions against the four officials, announced at a regular press conference Monday that China has decided to impose sanctions on the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which “has behaved badly on Hong Kong-related issues,” in response to the U.S. wrongdoing. John Knaus, Senior Director of Asian Affairs at Democracy, Manpreet Singh Anand, Director of Asia Programs at the National Democratic Institute (NDI), Rosario, Director of the Hong Kong office, and John Knaus, Senior Director of Asian Affairs at NDI. The U.S. imposed sanctions on Crystal Rosario, Kelvin Sit, director of the project, and four others.
China firmly opposes and strongly condemns the U.S. blatant meddling in Hong Kong’s affairs and brutal interference in China’s internal affairs, and the U.S. should not go further and further down the wrong path, Hua Chunying said. She added that these people are not welcome in China and they will be banned from entering China, including Hong Kong and Macau. But Hua Chunying did not elaborate on the sanctions.
The Associated Press reported Monday that the U.S. Institute for Democracy in International Affairs said in a news release that it had no further information, but “remains firmly committed to those core principles and to continuing our work to support democracy around the world.
On August 7, 2012, the U.S. announced sanctions against 11 Chinese and Hong Kong officials, including Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, Hong Kong Police Commissioner Deng Bingqiang, Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office Director Xia Baolong, and Liaison Office Director Luo Huining. The U.S. Treasury Department accused them of undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy and restricting the freedom of speech and association of its citizens. The sanctions mean that the officials’ direct or indirect holdings and interests in U.S. properties will be frozen and reported to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and they cannot buy or sell any U.S. funds, goods or services.
On November 9, the U.S. sanctioned four more Chinese officials from Mainland China and Hong Kong, including Deng Zhonghua, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, and Li Jiangzhou, deputy director of the Central Government’s National Security Agency in Hong Kong.
China has long accused U.S. democracy organizations of encouraging dissidents to engage in grassroots movements. These figures advocate for greater direct democracy in Hong Kong. Hong Kongers’ desire for democracy was on full display in the Umbrella Movement in 2014 and last year’s campaign against sending China to China. Beijing then cracked down, imposing a draconian Hong Kong version of the National Security Law on Hong Kong.
On June 29, the day before the enactment of Hong Kong’s version of the National Security Law, the United States began imposing sanctions on China, including halting exports of defense equipment and sensitive dual-use technology to Hong Kong. On the same day, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that it was temporarily revoking the special treatment granted by the United States to Hong Kong. U.S. President Trump signed the “Hong Kong Autonomy Act” on July 14, removing the special treatment of Hong Kong by the U.S. Both houses of Congress and unanimously passed the “Hong Kong Autonomy Act,” authorizing U.S. government departments to impose financial and other sanctions to punish those who have eroded or harmed Hong Kong. Autonomous China-Hong Kong officials and entities.
In particular, the Trump administration has adopted a number of pro-Taiwan practices, including the passage of the Taiwan-Friendly Act, arms sales to Taiwan, and the dispatch of senior administration officials to Taiwan, which have infuriated Beijing, which has frequently sent PLA military aircraft to disrupt flights to Taiwan and held live-fire military exercises targeting Taiwan as a warning to the U.S. and Taiwan.
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