Washington slams China’s tit-for-tat visa curbs on US officials over Hong Kong interference

‘We condemn retaliatory actions by the People’s Republic of China against US officials,’ America’s Department of State says

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Beijing imposed the visa curbs in response to Washington’s threat to implement fresh sanctions on officials after the jailing of 45 opposition figures under Hong Kong’s national security legislation. Photo: AP

Published: 1:07pm, 11 Dec 2024Updated: 5:23pm, 11 Dec 2024

Washington has condemned Beijing’s “retaliatory” decision to impose visa restrictions on US officials accused of interfering in Hong Kong affairs.

Beijing imposed the visa curbs in response to Washington’s threat to implement fresh sanctions on officials after the jailing of 45 opposition figures under Hong Kong’s national security legislation.

In a reply to the Post on Wednesday, the US Department of State said: “We condemn retaliatory actions by the People’s Republic of China against US officials.

“We remain deeply concerned about the deteriorating protections for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the systematic dismantling of Hong Kong’s autonomy under the national security law and Article 23 legislation.”

Forty-five opposition figures have been jailed for four to 10 years over their roles in an unofficial “primary” election in 2020. Photo: Dickson Lee

The US state department also called on Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to “cease politically motivated prosecutions of Hong Kong residents” and “to immediately release all unjustly detained political prisoners and individuals jailed for their peaceful advocacy for basic rights and freedoms”.