In retaliation for the U.S. sanctioning 14 Chinese officials at the deputy state level, China has launched countermeasures, deciding to cancel visa-free access for U.S. diplomats visiting Hong Kong and Macau, and imposing sanctions on the U.S. officials concerned and their relatives.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying announced at a press conference Thursday (Dec. 10) that China will impose reciprocal sanctions on U.S. executive branch officials, members of Congress, non-governmental organizations and their immediate family members who “have behaved badly and bear the primary responsibility for the Hong Kong-related issues.”
When it comes to the specific sanctions, Hua said, “China has decided to cancel the visa-free access to Hong Kong and Macau for U.S. diplomatic passport holders on a temporary basis.”
Beyond that, Hua did not specify how China will sanction the families of the U.S. personnel.
On Monday (Dec. 7), the State Department announced sanctions against 14 vice chairmen of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress, punishing them for their earlier role in disqualifying four pro-democracy members of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council.
This is the highest-ranking, most numerous, and strongest sanction the U.S. government has ever imposed on a Chinese Communist Party official.
Among the vice chairmen sanctioned are Wang Chen, Cao Jianming, Zhang Chunxian, Shen Yueyue, Ji Bingxuan, Alyqin Yiminbhai, Wan Exiang, Chen Zhu, Wang Dongming, Baima Chilin, Ding Zhongli, Hao Mingjin, Cai Dafeng and Wu Weihua.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that the officials themselves and their families will not be allowed to come to the United States, their assets in the United States will be frozen and Americans will not be allowed to do any business with them.
Many Chinese officials have moved their assets to the United States and other Western countries for fear of their safety at home, and many have children who are paying to study at U.S. universities. These new U.S. sanctions are expected to have an impact on these officials and their relatives in the United States.
Since the outbreak of this year’s viral pandemic, already quite tense U.S.-China relations have become even more strained. The implementation of Hong Kong’s national security law has completely changed the political, economic and social environment in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government, with the support of Beijing, has retaliated against pro-democracy activists and people and students who have participated in protest demonstrations, provoking strong international condemnation.
The United States has imposed two rounds of sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese officials, including Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.
On December 4, the U.S. State Department issued new rules restricting travel to the U.S. by Chinese Communist Party members and their immediate family members. The original 10-year visa was shortened to one month, and the multiple-entry validity was changed to single-entry validity.
The CCP has 92 million Party members, and some experts estimate that the new visa rules could affect the travel of 270 million people. The State Department’s decision has drawn strong resentment from the Chinese Communist Party, which has called it a new “Chinese Exclusion Act” in official media.
At a press conference on Thursday, Hua Chunying urged the U.S. side to “immediately stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs and not to go further and further down the wrong and dangerous path.
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