US Sanctions Chinese Officials for Hong Kong Crackdown
Voice of America
The U.S. has sanctioned seven Chinese officials for their participation in China’s clampdown on democracy in Hong Kong.
The officials were targeted under the 2020 Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which “imposes sanctions on foreign individuals and entities that materially contribute to China's failure to preserve Hong Kong's autonomy.” The sanctions provide for asset freezes and other penalties. Those sanctioned are with China’s Hong Kong liaison office, which represents the Beijing government’s interests in Hong Kong. Shortly before the sanctions were announced, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a regular news conference in Beijing that “China will respond firmly and forcefully to the measures taken by the United States."Palestinians gather at the site of an Israeli strike on a camp for internally displaced people in Rafah on May 27, 2024. Fire rages following an Israeli strike on an area designated for displaced Palestinians, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, in this still picture taken from a video, May 26, 2024. Palestinians gather at the site of an Israeli strike on a camp for internally displaced people in Rafah on May 27, 2024. A member of the bomb squad of the Israeli police collects debris after a rocket fired by Palestinian militants struck in the Israeli city of Herzliya on May 26, 2024.