The United States announced its intention on Friday to enact fresh visa restrictions on Hong Kong officials implicated in suppressing rights within the city, following the enforcement of a new national security law.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated Beijing’s ongoing actions undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy and democratic principles, citing the recent enactment of “Article 23,” a security law targeting various offences including treason and espionage.
In response to what Blinken termed as escalating repression and constraints on civil liberties, media, and dissent, the State Department revealed plans to introduce new visa restrictions on multiple Hong Kong officials, though specific details were not disclosed.
This move follows Washington’s annual assessment of Hong Kong’s autonomy, with Blinken reaffirming that the city no longer merits differential treatment under U.S. laws as it did before the handover in 1997.
The U.S. has previously sanctioned Hong Kong officials accused of eroding the city’s distinct freedoms, including revoking its special trade status in response to the suppression of pro-democracy protests in 2019.
China’s foreign ministry in Hong Kong criticized the U.S. action as an attempt to smear the security law and interfere in internal affairs, dismissing the autonomy review as a meaningless exercise.
In a separate development, Radio Free Asia announced the closure of its Hong Kong office due to safety concerns for its staff following the enactment of the new security law.
