Read more at The New York Times
HONG KONG — The United States imposed travel bans and other sanctions on 14 high-level Chinese officials over the continuing crackdown on the opposition in Hong Kong, as the police in the Chinese territory arrested more pro-democracy figures on Tuesday.
The U.S. State Department took aim at members of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress, citing the officials’ role last month in authorizing the Hong Kong government to disqualify four opposition lawmakers from the city’s legislature. The ousting of the lawmakers prompted the rest of the city’s pro-democracy camp to resign from the legislature in protest.
“Beijing’s unrelenting assault against Hong Kong’s democratic processes has gutted its Legislative Council, rendering the body a rubber stamp devoid of meaningful opposition,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday in a statement announcing the sanctions.