The Chinese authorities will not leave unanswered the current U.S. policy, which is dissatisfied with the Hong Kong National Security Act, regarding the special administrative region of China, said on Tuesday Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian.
“As a reaction to the U.S. illegal actions, China will take necessary countermeasures”, – he told the Western media.
“U.S. attempts to prevent China from implementing the Hong Kong National Security Act through so-called sanctions will not succeed”, – he promised.
On Tuesday, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress passed the Hong Kong National Security Act.
The law defines the obligations of the central government of the country and the responsibility of the Hong Kong authorities to ensure national security of the special administrative region, provides for punishment for four main types of crime: separatist activity, subversion of state power, terrorist activity, conspiracy with foreign states or forces located abroad to undermine national security.
The decision to pass the law on Hong Kong caused a wave of criticism of Beijing by the U.S. and Western countries, Washington imposed visa restrictions on Chinese officials. In turn, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on the previous day that it intends to impose visa restrictions on certain U.S. officials for interference in the affairs of Hong Kong.
Also, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that Washington would stop supplying defense products and dual-use goods to Hong Kong.