China’s foreign ministry on Wednesday announced it will launch a series of retaliatory sanctions against the U.S. after President Trump signed legislation sanctioning Chinese officials and entities for Beijing’s “repressive actions” against the people of Hong Kong.
Beijing’s sanctions will target American entities and individuals, but the foreign ministry stopped short of detailing the extent.
The foreign ministry said in a statement that it “firmly opposes and strongly condemns” the U.S. move to approve sanctions over the national security law.
“China will make necessary responses to protect its legitimate interests, and impose sanctions on relevant U.S. personnel and entities,” the statement read.
China last month imposed the new security law expanding Beijing’s role in controlling law enforcement and political expression in Hong Kong. The law allows Chinese intelligence and security forces to be based inside the district for the first time and seeks to address terrorism, secession and foreign interference in the city.
Beijing has maintained that the law will not impede on the city’s autonomy.
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Critics, however, say it does not align with the 1997 Joint Declaration between Britain and China that bound Beijing’s communist rulers to respect Hong Kong’s autonomy as a special administrative region and to leave its liberal economy and government for 50 years under the formulation “one country, two systems.”
Mr. Trump on Tuesday signed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which the House and Senate approved earlier this month by veto-proof majorities, to hold accountable those involved in cracking down on freedoms in Hong Kong.
The law authorizes the State and Treasury departments to impose sanctions on those involved in imposing the Hong Kong security law and targets banks involved in significant transactions with offenders.
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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