US personnel sanctioned over HK

CHINA yesterday said it is sanctioning leaders of US government- affiliated bodies in response to their practices that “blatantly meddle in Hong Kong affairs.”

Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the measures would cover the senior director for Asia at the National Endowment Democracy, John Knaus, the regional director for the Asia-Pacific at the National Democratic Institute, Manpreet Singh Anand, director for NDI’s engagement in Hong Kong Crystal Rosario, and Kelvin Sit Tak- O, NDI program manager in Hong Kong.

They will be banned from entering China, Hua said in a regular news briefing.

Hua told reporters that “the relevant US practices blatantly meddle in Hong Kong affairs, grossly interfere in China’s internal affairs, seriously violate the international law and basic norms governing international relations.”

“The US should immediately cease interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs and avoid going further down the wrong path,” Hua said.

Relations between the two nations have deteriorated to their worst in decades during outgoing US President Donald Trump’s four-year term, with disputes simmering over issues from trade and technology to Hong Kong and the coronavirus.

The US has imposed sanctions on Chinese officials over the passage of a national security law. The sanctions ban the officials, including the head of Hong Kong’s local government, Carrie Lam, from traveling to the US and freezes all dealings with American financial institutions.

This month, the United States said it was imposing sanctions on four more Chinese individuals tied to actions over Hong Kong. In August, China hit 11 US officials with “egregious records on Hong Kong affairs” with sanctions.