Political situation
Written by: Lin Jian
2021-07-08 15:48
The last update date: 2021-07-08 16:11
US President Biden announced yesterday (July 7) local time that he would extend the sanctions imposed by the administration of former President Trump on the Hong Kong issue.
The White House stated that Trump’s executive order signed in July last year that the state of emergency declared in response to the situation in Hong Kong will continue to take effect after the 14th of this month.
Tan Yaozong, a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress who was sanctioned, criticized that this intervention in China's internal affairs was completely absurd and unfounded, but frankly said that he has never expected the Biden administration.
▼Some sanctioned persons▼
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In accordance with an executive order signed by Trump in August last year, the US government sanctioned a number of Hong Kong government officials in response to Hong Kong’s implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Act, including Carrie Lam, Secretary of Justice Zheng Ruohua, then Secretary for Security Li Jiachao, and Chief Executive Officer Chen Guoji. The Chinese officials include Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, Luo Huining, director of the Liaison Office of the Central Committee, Zhang Xiaoming, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, and Zheng Yanxiong, director of the National Security Office in Hong Kong.
In November last year, the United States expanded the list to include Liu Cihui, Deputy Chief of Police (National Security), and Li Guihua, Senior Superintendent of the National Security Department.
On the eve of Trump's inauguration in January this year, he expanded the sanctions list to Tan Yaozong and the temporarily suspended police officer Cai Zhanpeng, among others.
The Hong Kong National Security Law was implemented in Hong Kong on June 30 last year.
(Profile picture)
Use the "Anti-Sanctions Law"?
Tan Yaozong: The central government has its own arrangements
When interviewed by "Hong Kong 01", Tan Yaozong said that he has always believed that the US's "so-called sanctions are completely absurd and unfounded." The central government has repeatedly reiterated that Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs and have nothing to do with the United States and should not be arbitrarily interfered.
He also said that he has never expected much of the Biden administration and will continue the policies of former President Trump and will not easily give up using Hong Kong issues to attack China. However, he believes that this will only backfire and calls on the United States to take any action. We should proceed from the perspective of Sino-US relations.
As for whether the central government should use the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law to respond, and whether the SAR government should keep up, Tan Yaozong said that the central government and the SAR government have their own arrangements, and there is no need to comment at this time.
In June this year, the “Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law” passed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress has a total of 16 articles, which refer to foreign countries using various excuses or in accordance with their own laws to contain and suppress China, and to impose discriminatory restrictive measures on Chinese citizens and organizations. If China interferes in China's internal affairs, China has the right to take corresponding countermeasures.
Liu Zhaojia: The US "does not cooperate with speech"
Liu Zhaojia, the vice chairman of the National Hong Kong and Macau Research Association, said that the US action this time is just a continuation of the old sanctions and no expansion of the action. The central government has already countered the US sanctions in the past. Therefore, I believe the central government may not take any more substantial actions. Will tend to make decisions and then move.
He also mentioned that there have been many recent political incidents in Hong Kong, such as the freezing of assets of Next Media’s founder Li Zhiying and the suspension of "Apple Daily". The criticism of the United States has been quite strong. He originally thought that the United States would continue to expand sanctions "to express its opposition." The support of the anti-China and Hong Kong forces", but in the end it did not, reflecting that the actions of the United States did not cooperate with the speeches, which is rather strange. "Of course from a central standpoint, you will definitely not be satisfied, thinking that these sanctions should never exist."
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The National People's Congress was sanctioned by the United States through the anti-sanctions law.
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