China launched a fierce response to US sanctions

At a press conference on December 10, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hoa Xuan Oanh announced that Beijing has revoked visa exemption regulations for US diplomatic passport holders visiting Hong Kong and Macau.

Also at the press conference, it was mentioned that the United States included Wan Kuok-koi, the notorious leader of the gang nicknamed “Toothbrush” on the sanctions list with accusations that he was expanding criminal activities across the country. Southeast Asia, China’s Foreign Ministry said Washington is taking every opportunity to “Defame China”, consider that behavior “abject”.

China’s countermeasure comes after the United States imposed financial sanctions and travel bans on 14 Chinese officials for their role in passing national security laws against Hong. Kong and Beijing’s recent rejection of Hong Kong’s elected opposition lawmakers.

After this measure, the Chinese Foreign Ministry summoned Robert W. Forden, the acting US prosecutor in Beijing, to give the note of protest against the US sanctions, considering it as “He seriously violated the principles of international relations, seriously interfered in China’s internal affairs, and seriously damaged China-US relations.”

Last month, the Hong Kong government removed four opposition deputies from the special zone legislature after the Chinese National Assembly passed a resolution allowing the government to remove their parliamentary seats without going through a court. This move caused a number of opposition lawmakers to resign here to protest.

Also in November, the State Department and the Treasury Department punished four more Chinese officials in Hong Kong’s government and security service, prevented them from going to the US, and blocked any US-related assets.

The new U.S. sanctions against senior Chinese officials come as the Trump administration continues to pressure Beijing in his final weeks in office, before the president’s election. Joe Biden took office on January 20.