Washington is facing a response from Beijing with sanctions targeting US officials involved in Hong Kong issues.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday that it will apply visa restrictions to US officials who have acted in matters related to Hong Kong.
This decision comes in retaliation for US threats to sanction Chinese officials involved in enforcing the national security law in Hong Kong.
According to Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the US actions to restrict visas for Chinese officials represent significant interference in China's internal affairs, as well as violating the principles of international law and fundamental norms of relations between countries. In response, Beijing has decided to implement similar measures against US officials who, it has been pointed out, have acted "ostentatiously" in matters relating to Hong Kong.
Mao Ning reiterated that Hong Kong's affairs are exclusively internal and asked the US to respect Chinese sovereignty and the laws governing the territory. She added that Beijing expects Washington to cease any attempt at interference, regardless of the format.
The spokeswoman also reinforced that China remains firm in its commitment to protect its sovereignty, security and development interests, as well as resisting any external interference in Hong Kong-related affairs.
Originally published by RT Brazil on 10/12/2024 - 18:40
