Mike Pompeo said the United States would restrict visas for Chinese Communist Party officials (File)
Washington:
The United States said on Friday that it is restricting visas for a number of Chinese officials, accusing them of undermining the autonomy of Hong Kong.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States would restrict visas for current and former Chinese Communist Party officials “who were responsible for the gutting of the freedoms of Hong Kong.”
The officials who were targeted were “responsible, or accomplices, for undermining Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy,” which Beijing had promised before regaining control of the territory in 1997, said Pompeo.
“The United States calls on China to honor its commitments and obligations in the joint Sino-British declaration,” Pompeo said in a statement, calling for the protection of “freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly”.
China is moving forward with a security law that would punish subversion and other perceived crimes in Hong Kong, which experienced massive and sometimes destructive demonstrations in favor of democracy last year.
Activists say the law would effectively nullify the freedoms of which Hong Kong is one of the world‘s major financial centers.
Pompeo’s action comes a day after the United States Senate approved a bill that would impose economic sanctions on Chinese officials and Hong Kong police and banks that transact with them.
Supporters of the bill, which is to be passed by the House of Representatives, say they want to impose real costs on Chinese officials rather than just condemn them.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
