Sources told Reuters: The United States is preparing to impose new sanctions on Chinese officials for a campaign in Hong Kong.

Three sources, including a US official familiar with the matter, revealed that the United States is preparing to impose sanctions on at least ten Chinese officials for their alleged role in excluding elected opponents from the Hong Kong legislature from Beijing.
The move, which can be announced on Monday, targets Chinese Communist Party officials as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to pressure Beijing in the final weeks of his presidency.

Two sources said measures such as the asset freeze and financial sanctions are likely to target 14 people, including Chinese parliament officials and members of the Chinese Communist Party.

The US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said several people would be punished.

A person familiar with the matter said the group is likely to include officials from Hong Kong and mainland China. The sources did not mention the names or positions of the sanctions targets. Two sources indicated that the announcement of the sanctions could be delayed until the end of the week.

Last month, the Beijing-backed Hong Kong government expelled four members of the opposition from its legislature after the Chinese parliament gave city authorities new powers to curb the opposition. The move prompted massive resignations of pro-democracy opposition MPs in the former British colony.

The move also sparked more anxiety in the West. The intelligence-sharing group “Five Eyes”, which includes Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the United States, said last month that the move appeared to be part of a campaign to silence critics and called on Beijing to cancel it.