Hong Kong Condemns U.S. Bill Calling for Sanctions, Accusing Lawmakers of Political Grandstanding and Intimidation

 Hong Kong has strongly condemned a U.S. bill that calls for sanctions against 49 Hong Kong officials, judges, and prosecutors involved in national security cases, accusing U.S. lawmakers of grandstanding and attempting to intimidate the city. The bill, called the Hong Kong Sanctions Act, is a bipartisan effort urging the Biden administration to sanction those responsible for the alleged political persecution of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong. The bill includes officials such as Secretary for Justice Paul Lam, Police Chief Raymond Siu, and several judges.

A spokesperson for the Hong Kong government stated that the U.S. politicians should cease their actions against international law and norms of international relations, as well as stop interfering in matters that are purely China's internal affairs. The spokesperson strongly condemned the U.S. legislators' political grandstanding, emphasizing that their ill intentions have been recognized by all. Hong Kong, as a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, rejects any so-called "sanctions" and will never be intimidated, according to the spokesperson. The Hong Kong judiciary also criticized the bill, stating that any attempt to impose sanctions is a direct affront to the rule of law and judicial independence in the city.

The bill would require the U.S. president to determine whether the named Hong Kong officials qualify for sanctions under existing U.S. legislation. The national security law was imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing in 2020 after months of pro-democracy protests. Both Hong Kong and Beijing argue that the law is necessary to restore order and preserve the city's prosperity, while critics view it as a tool to suppress dissent. Since the implementation of the law, over 280 people, including opposition politicians, activists, lawyers, and journalists, have been arrested in Hong Kong.

Anna Kwok, a self-exiled Hong Kong democracy activist, welcomed the bill, stating that the officials named in the bill were key architects of the Chinese Communist Party's attack on Hong Kong's legal system. Kwok believes that the bill demonstrates that the global community will not allow threats to judicial independence to go unchecked. The United States previously imposed sanctions on several Hong Kong officials in 2020, including leader John Lee, for their role in implementing what the U.S. considers to be a draconian security law. The Hong Kong government's condemnation of the new bill reflects their ongoing contention with U.S. intervention in their internal affairs.