The U.S. again sanctioned 14 Chinese officials for Hong Kong-related matters. The EU and the UK, however, did not immediately follow suit this time. At this point, less than 50 days remained before the end of the Donald Trump administration.
The Trump administration continues to impose sanctions on China for the remainder of its term.
On December 7, 2012, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced a list of 14 Chinese officials to be sanctioned in connection with the Hong Kong issue.
According to the list, the sanctioned officials are all vice-chairmen of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), including Cai Dafeng, Cao Jianming, Chen Zhu, Baima Chilin, Ding Zhongli, Hao Mingjin, Aleksei Imin Bahai, Ji Binghuan, Shen Yueyue, Wan E Xiang, Wang Chen, Wang Dongming, Wu Weihua, and Zhang Chunxian.
The reasons for the sanctions are often attributed to the fact that the Chinese National People’s Congress (NPC) has made several decisive moves on the Hong Kong issue, including the enactment of the “Hong Kong version of the National Security Law”.
On December 8, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post reported that the European Union and the United Kingdom had each ruled out immediately “sanctioning” Chinese officials involved in “human rights violations” in Hong Kong and Xinjiang on the same day as the U.S. sanctions.
According to a statement, the EU introduced a “global human rights sanctions mechanism” that it said would target “individuals, entities, states and non-state actors responsible for, involved in, or associated with serious human rights violations and abuses around the world.
But when it comes to the mechanism, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell repeatedly avoided saying whether he would follow through on his earlier comments and use the so-called new powers to “punish” Chinese officials involved in border-related issues.
“The sanctions will be triggered when a member state proposes it. No member state has proposed it yet,” Borel explained. Borel explained, but he did not acknowledge that he also has the right to propose sanctions.
Borel, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, said the sanctions would be triggered only if member states proposed them.
According to the Financial Times, EU ministers must now decide who to list “on the basis of a proposal from a member state or Borrell”.
And in a report last week by Politico Europe, a political news site, EU officials were quick to cite China as an example, claiming that with such a mechanism it would be possible to “sanction a Chinese official without sanctioning China.
Politico also stressed that these measures would require unanimous consent from EU countries.
In addition, the U.K. government also refused to “speculate” on whether to include Chinese officials on the so-called “sanctions” list, saying that it was still gathering evidence.
In response to the U.S. move, the Hong Kong government on December 8 strongly condemned the imposition of the so-called sanctions on the 14 Chinese Vice Chairmen of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and urged the U.S. government to immediately stop interfering in the internal affairs of the People’s Republic of China for geopolitical purposes under the guise of human rights or democracy.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that the above-mentioned actions of the U.S. side seriously violate the basic norms of international relations, seriously interfere in China’s internal affairs, and seriously damage China-U.S. relations. The Chinese government and people express their strong indignation and condemnation of the unreasonable, insane, and abominable actions of the U.S.,” said Chinese Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang also summoned U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Robert W. Forden to lodge a solemn protest against the U.S. announcement of sanctions against the 14 Vice Chairmen of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC).
Zheng Zeguang stressed that Hong Kong is China’s Hong Kong, Hong Kong affairs are purely China’s internal affairs, and the United States has no right to interfere. Zheng Zeguang also said that China advised the U.S. side to immediately correct its mistakes, revoke the relevant decision, stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs and interfere in China’s internal affairs. Otherwise, the U.S. side can only bear the serious consequences.
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