US govt Plans To Impose Visa Restrictions On Multiple Hong Kong Officials Accused Of Treason
Following the recent implementation of a new national security law, the US government declared on Friday, March 29, that it will be imposing additional visa restrictions on Hong Kong authorities who are seen to be accountable for the restrictions on rights within the city.
Beijing's actions over the past year, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have undermined Hong Kong's guaranteed autonomy, democratic institutions, and freedoms.
One notable aspect of this crackdown is the enactment of Article 23, a national security law that targets treason and espionage among other offenses.
The State Department announced preparations to impose new visa restrictions on a number of Hong Kong officials in reaction to what Antony Blinken described as escalating repression and limitations on civil society and media, however they did not provide any other information.
Blinken reiterated that Hong Kong no longer merits special treatment under U.S. law, as it did prior to the handover from Britain to China in 1997, and this statement came after Washington's yearly review of Hong Kong's autonomy.
Prior to this, the US has imposed sanctions and imposed visa restrictions on Hong Kong authorities who are alleged to be compromising the rights and liberties of the city.
As a result of the crackdown of pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019, the US withdrew Hong Kong's special trade status in 2020.
The Hong Kong-based envoy of China's foreign ministry denounced the most recent US action, calling it a slander against the national security law and meddling in China's domestic affairs.
A spokesman for Beijing called the yearly assessment of Hong Kong's autonomy a pointless formality.
The latest adoption of Article 23 is regarded as an additional step in strengthening security measures. Beijing enforced the national security law in 2020 in an attempt to put an end to the protests.
In a related development, US government-funded news organization Radio Free Asia stated that it was closing its Hong Kong office due to staff safety concerns after the new law went into effect.
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