At the same time, the U.S. Consul General in this special administrative region of China, Heng Smith, did not specify what specific measures may be discussed.
The U.S. side does not rule out the possibility of new sanctions against China due to the introduction of the national security law in Hong Kong. This was announced on Monday by the U.S. Consul General in this special administrative region of China, Heng Smith, on the air of RTHK radio station.
“Washington is studying the possibility of imposing additional sanctions”, – the diplomat said without specifying what specific measures may be involved.
Earlier, the White House introduced export restrictions for Hong Kong, tightened the visa regime for Chinese officials. July 2, the U.S. Senate approved a bill providing for sanctions against Chinese individuals and entities. The document is sent to President Donald Trump for his signature.
The U.S. Consul General called the new law “a tragedy for Hong Kong,” which, in his opinion, is capable of destroying fundamental freedoms in this special administrative region, creating an “atmosphere of coercion and self-censorship.
“Our interest is to guarantee Hong Kong the high degree of autonomy that has been promised to it. It worked very well for us, responding to our economic and commercial interests”, – said the head of the diplomatic mission. According to him, the success of Hong Kong is due to its autonomy, “it’s a fantastic business center and trade partner.” However, Smith denied the accusations related to the interference of Washington in this Chinese region.
“We support the right to peaceful protest and oppose all forms of violence. Hong Kong has its own institutions and structures to deal with such issues, and they should be allowed to work. As I said, just let Hong Kong be Hong Kong”, – he added.