Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has presented the U.S. Congress with a list of names of those who have undermined Hong Kong's freedoms and autonomy and warned that sanctions on financial institutions that do significant business with them could be forthcoming.
This year’s report includes ten People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong officials whose actions have undermined freedoms of assembly, speech, press, or the rule of law, or whose actions have reduced the high degree of autonomy of Hong Kong. Included on this list is Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam. On August 7, the United States imposed sanctions on these same individuals under Executive Order 13936.
The Chinese Communist Party, or CCP, has systematically dismantled the autonomy that Beijing promised to the people of Hong Kong and the world in the Sino-British Joint Declaration, a UN-registered treaty. Through the imposition of the National Security Law in June, the CCP has crippled democratic institutions, human rights, judicial independence, and individual freedoms in Hong Kong, said State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus.
The United States has publicly condemned actions taken by Beijing and Hong Kong authorities to stifle dissent and eviscerate Hong Kong’s autonomy. These include the installation of a mainland security agency, mass arrests of peaceful protestors, the politically motivated delay of the September 2020 Legislative Council elections, and the capture and detention of Hong Kong democracy activists attempting to leave Hong Kong.
The release of this report to Congress underscores the United States’ strong objection to Beijing’s efforts to erode the freedoms of the people of Hong Kong and impose the CCP’s oppressive policies. The United States will continue to urge the CCP to restore human rights and fundamental freedoms to the people of Hong Kong, in line with its international obligations.
