The Chinese government imposed sanctions against seven US individuals and entity including former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in response to recent U.S. sanctions on Chinese officials in Hong Kong., the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.
“In response to the erroneous practice of the US side, China has decided to take reciprocal countermeasures, and impose sanctions on seven US individuals and entity according to the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law,” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
“The US has concocted the so-called “Hong Kong Business Advisory” to groundlessly smear Hong Kong’s business environment, and illegally imposed sanctions on several officials of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. “These acts gravely violate international law and basic norms governing international relations and severely interfere in China’s internal affairs. China firmly opposes and strongly condemns this.”
Six Americans and one entity have been sanctioned as a “reciprocal” countermeasure to U.S. sanctions, they are:
- Former Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Louis Ross
- Chairman of US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) Carolyn Bartholomew
- , former Staff Director of Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) Jonathan Stivers
- DoYun Kim at National Democratic Institute for International Affairs
- Senior program manager of the International Republican Institute (IRI) Adam Joseph King
- China Director at Human Rights Watch Sophie Richardson
- Hong Kong Democratic Council
Earlier this month, U.S. pledged support for the pro-democracy opposition in Hong Kong and imposed sanctions on seven Chinese government officials. It also warned companies that doing business in Hong Kong is increasingly risky.
In imposing its new penalties, China deployed a law it passed recently to combat foreign sanctions. Precise details of the sanctions were not outlined.
The move came ahead of a scheduled visit to China on Sunday by US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman. She is set to become the highest-ranking US official to have visited China since Joe Biden entered the White House.
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