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From: TT
Published:
Photo: Vincent Yu / AP / TT
Suspended MPs Dennis Kwok, Kenneth Leung, Kwok Ka-Ki and Alvin Yeung during a press conference in Hong Kong on Wednesday.
The United States is warning China that more sanctions could be imposed after four pro-democracy members of Hong Kong’s parliament were deprived of their seats.
“Beijing’s actions leave no doubt that the Communist Party has blatantly violated its international commitments,” said US national security adviser Robert O’Brien.
The four Hong Kong politicians were deprived of their seats in the Hong Kong parliament on Wednesday with immediate effect. Soon after, the remaining 15 pro-democracy members of parliament announced their resignation in protest.
Robert O’Brien says the United States must now identify and impose sanctions on those responsible for “extinguishing Hong Kong’s freedom.”
Beijing recently gave Hong Kong rulers the right to suspend, without the need for a court decision, parliamentarians deemed to pose a threat to national security. Hong Kong’s leaders are appointed by friendly committees of Beijing, but half the seats in the parliament in the area are up for election.
Penalties on Monday
Recently, on Monday, the United States imposed sanctions on four Chinese representatives in Hong Kong, including the Chief of National Security of the Hong Kong Police, Edwina Lau.
The sanctions against the aforementioned individuals mean that all possible assets of those affected in the United States are frozen and that US citizens are prohibited from doing business with them.
The democracy movement has come under increasing pressure since Beijing introduced a new so-called security law in Hong Kong in June, which has circumvented the freedoms of the Hong Kong people and is seen as impoverishing the relative independence of the region from China. continental.
About thirty people have recently been arrested with the support of the law, at the end of October, among others, the 19-year-old activist Tony Chung was arrested in front of the US embassy.
Elevated special status
In response to the law, the United States claimed in July the special and favorable trade status that Hong Kong has enjoyed under US law.
The following month, the country imposed sanctions on Hong Kong’s top politician, Carrie Lam, as well as 10 other Chinese representatives, including several politicians loyal to Beijing. Three bilateral agreements with Hong Kong were also rescinded or terminated.
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