US Lawmakers Call for Sanctions on 28 Hong Kong Officials Amid Human Rights Concerns

Jul 19, 2024, 01:01 AM

Bipartisan leaders of two China-focused congressional panels have criticized the Biden administration's response to escalating repression in Hong Kong as 'not adequate.' In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Chairman John Moolenaar and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the US and the CCP, along with leadership from the CECCgov and CommitteeonCCP, called for sanctions on 28 members of Hong Kong's government. The letter urges sanctions against officials responsible for eroding the rule of law and rights protections in Hong Kong and persecuting pro-democracy protestors. The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong noted that the city's reputation in Washington is too poor to anticipate any easing of policy pressure. In response, Hong Kong's government and Chinese state media have condemned the US lawmakers' actions as interference in internal affairs and a violation of international law.