The U.S. government has imposed sanctions on six senior officials from China and Hong Kong for their involvement in “transnational repression” and for further undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy.
This marks a significant step by the Trump administration to hold China accountable for its crackdown on the city.
In a statement, the State Department highlighted that Beijing and Hong Kong officials have exploited the national security laws to intimidate, silence, and harass 19 pro-democracy activists who fled abroad, including one U.S. citizen and four other U.S. residents.
The six individuals sanctioned are accused of engaging in actions or policies that threaten to further erode Hong Kong’s autonomy, contrary to China’s commitments and linked to acts of transnational repression.
Western nations have criticized Beijing for implementing the national security law in Hong Kong, which has been used to imprison pro-democracy activists and shut down liberal media outlets and civil society organizations. Beijing defends the law, claiming it has restored stability following the mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.
The sanctions, announced on Monday, freeze any property, funds, or transactions in the U.S. linked to these individuals. Among them is Dong Jingwei, the former head of China’s main civilian intelligence agency, who now leads China’s Office for Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong. Dong previously oversaw counter-intelligence as vice minister of state security.
Also sanctioned is Paul Lam, Hong Kong’s secretary for justice, who has spearheaded many prosecutions against democratic activists. Other officials sanctioned include Sonny Au, Dick Wong, Margaret Chiu, and Raymond Siu for their involvement in “coercing, arresting, detaining, or imprisoning individuals” under the security laws.
In response, China’s Foreign Commissioner’s office in Hong Kong condemned the sanctions as “despicable” and a malicious attempt to destabilize Hong Kong’s prosperity. The Hong Kong government also strongly criticized the sanctions, labeling them as a revealing example of U.S. brutality under its hegemony.
