Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday announced sanctions against two dozen Chinese and Hong Kong officials for undermining the semi-autonomy of Beijing, just days before a crucial summit between the United States and China.
The sanctions represent an update to the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, passed last June under the Trump administration, which serves to penalize individuals, banks and other entities that make possible China’s strict new national security law for Hong Kong.
The State Department’s announcement also came a week after China’s ceremonial legislature approved a plan to reduce the number of Hong Kong lawmakers elected by voters in the territory. In a statement, Blinken said that the new wave of sanctions in the United States “underscores our deep concern” about action at the National People’s Congress.