11 in US sanctioned for Hong Kong meddling

Foreign Ministry spokesman calls on Washington to stop SAR interference

China has decided to impose sanctions on 11 people in the United States who have been behaving egregiously on Hong Kong-related issues, in response to US sanctions on 11 Chinese officials, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Monday.

The people targeted by China's sanctions include Senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Tom Cotton and Pat Toomey and Representative Chris Smith.

Also under sanctions are President of the National Endowment for Democracy Carl Gershman, President of the National Democratic Institute Derek Mitchell, President of the International Republican Institute Daniel Twining, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch Kenneth Roth, and President of Freedom House Michael J. Abramowitz.

Hong Kong affairs are purely China's domestic affairs, in which no foreign forces have a right to interfere, Zhao said at a daily news conference, urging the US to clearly understand the situation, correct its wrongdoing and immediately stop its meddling.

Since Hong Kong's return to China, "one country, two systems" has obtained universally acknowledged success, and Hong Kong residents have enjoyed democratic rights never seen before and fully exercised all kinds of freedoms, Zhao said.

"This is a fact which anyone without bias cannot deny," he said.

In the meantime, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region saw rising national security risks, Zhao said.

The National Security Law for Hong Kong only targets very few criminals who seriously undermine national security and protects the overwhelming majority, which is Hong Kong residents who obey the law, Zhao said.

Referring to US Health Secretary Alex Azar's visit to Taiwan, Zhao said on Monday that China has lodged solemn representations with the US over the visit.

The visit seriously violated the commitment the US has made on the Taiwan question, which is the most important and most sensitive issue in China-US ties, Zhao said.

The one-China principle is the political foundation of China-US ties, Zhao said, urging the US to observe the principle and the three China-US joint communiques, sever any kind of official contact with the Taiwan region and handle Taiwan-related issues cautiously and properly to avoid serious damage to China-US cooperation in important areas and peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.