US sanctions seven Chinese officials over Hong Kong crackdown

Washington DC [US], July 16 (ANI): The United States on Friday imposed Hong Kong-related sanctions on seven individuals and warned companies of the risks of doing business in the territory.

“The People’s Republic of China must not suppress rights and freedoms. Today’s sanctions and @StateDept, @USTreasury, @DHSgov, and @CommerceGov’s issuance of the Business Advisory show we will continue to speak out for Hong Kong and promote accountability for Beijing’s broken promises and repressive acts,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted.

In a notice, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said, “The US Departments of State, Commerce, Homeland Security and the Treasury issued an advisory to highlight growing risks associated with actions undertaken by the Govt of PRC (China) and the government of the HKSAR (Hong Kong) that could adversely impact US companies that operate in the Hong Kong SAR of the People’s Republic of China.”

The notice indicated that seven individuals have been added to OFAC’s list of Specially Designated Nationals, Sputnik reported. The punitive actions reportedly target individuals from the Hong Kong liaison office.

Last week, the US government had added 14 more Chinese companies to the trade sanction list. The reason being their involvement in Beijing’s human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, NHK World reported citing the US Commerce Department.

Several Chinese companies that offer high-tech surveillance systems are also part of this sanction list. The companies have enabled CCP’s campaign of mass detention and high-tech surveillance against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in the region, NHK World reported.

The Biden administration has been taking firm steps against Beijing’s human rights violation. Two months back, the US added five Chinese solar panel companies to the sanction list, alleging them of using forced labour in the Xinjiang-Uygur region.

The Chinese government has refused the allegations and said these sanctions are based on false information. (ANI)