President Donald Trump walks to the Rose Garden at the White House on May 29 to announce sanctions against China for policies related to Hong Kong. The administration announced sanctions for Hong Kong officials on Friday. File Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI |
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Aug. 7 (UPI) -- The U.S. government on Friday sanctioned Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and 10 others for complying with Chinese policies it says restrict the island's freedoms.
The Treasury Department said the sanctions are part of an executive order from President Donald Trump that addressed Hong Kong last month after China imposed the national security measures.
The order promised sanctions for businesses and individuals that aided Beijing with the law that criminalizes secession, sedition, subversion, terrorism and working with foreign agencies to undermine the national security of China in Hong Kong.
"The United States stands with the people of Hong Kong and we will use our tools and authorities to target those undermining their autonomy," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement Friday.
Lam is the most prominent of the 11 Hong Kong officials listed. The Treasury said she's "directly responsible for implementing Beijing's policies of suppression of freedom and democratic processes."
The order also said Lam pushed for an update to Hong Kong's extradition arrangements last year to allow for extradition to the mainland, which led to months of mass protests, some of which became violent.
Others sanctioned are Hong Kong Police Commissioner Chris Tang, former commissioner Stephen Lo, security minister John Lee Ka-chiu, justice minister Teresa Cheng, constitutional secretary Erick Tsang, national security director Zheng Yanxiong, national security Secretary-General Eric Chan and diplomatic officials Xia Baolong, Zhang Xiaoming and Luo Huining.
The sanctioned group will have any property and assets in the U.S. frozen.