[HIGHLIGHTS] National security law: Washington to sanction Hong Kong officials

The United States will impose visa restrictions on officials from Hong Kong. The move is in response to a national security law denounced by pro-democracy activists.

The State Department submitted its annual report on its relations with Hong Kong to Congress. The representative of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong “strongly condemned” the American report, saying that it defamed the new nationalSecurity law and amounted to interference in China's internal affairs. The U.S. also revoked the special commercial status enjoyed by the Hong Kong financial center in 2020.