China to restrict visas to US officials for threatening Hong Kong curbs

By Alan Wong 

China said it will impose visa restrictions on some US officials for their alleged meddling in Hong Kong’s affairs, in a tit-for-tat move that highlights rising geopolitical tensions over the Asian finance center before Donald Trump takes office. 

The Chinese government will limit travel by US personnel who “behaved egregiously” on issues related to the city, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing announced Tuesday, without saying who will be affected by the measure or when it will start. 

 

The curbs were in retaliation for Washington’s previous vow to restrict the visas of unnamed Hong Kong officials for carrying out a national security crackdown that silenced dissent in the former British colony. The US Department of State last threatened the action in November after a local court sentenced dozens of prominent pro-democracy activists to as many as 10 years in prison.

 

 

“We urge the US side to respect China’s sovereignty and the rule of law in Hong Kong, and to stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs in any way,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular briefing.

 

The move was partly aimed at signaling to the president-elect that Beijing would hit back at any US measures against the country, Lau Siu-kai, a consultant with the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, a semi-official think tank, told the South China Morning Post.

 

Trading threats 

The US threatened the visa action as early as March this year after the city fast-tracked into law domestic security legislation that Washington said muzzles open discussion in the once-freewheeling business hub. 

 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at the time the US government will work with Congress to call for restoring rights and releasing those “unjustly detained” under a national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020. That year, the Trump administration imposed economic sanctions on former Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and 10 other officials in the city and China over the legislation.

 

Western governments have condemned the recent sentencing of activists including Joshua Wong and Benny Tai, who received the longest sentence ever meted out using the Chinese law. 

 

The US has also called for the release of ex-media mogul Jimmy Lai, who has been testifying in recent days in his high-profile national security trial. 

 

Lai, a democracy advocate, is accused of colluding with foreign forces to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese officials, charges he denied. The 77-year-old could spend the rest of his life behind bars if convicted.