China imposes sanctions on US officials, entities under anti-foreign law

China on Friday imposed sanctions on seven US individuals and entity, under Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, in response to the US penalties imposed on the Hong Kong officials over crackdown of democracy in the semi-autonomous region.

This action comes in response to the US' recent warning to companies about the risks of doing business in Hong Kong. Last week, the United States had imposed Hong Kong-related sanctions on seven individuals and warned companies of the risks of doing business in the territory.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said that "US has concocted the so-called 'Hong Kong Business Advisory' to groundlessly smear Hong Kong's business environment, and illegally imposed sanctions on several officials of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR."

The list of seven US individuals and entity include former US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Louis Ross; Chairman of US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) Carolyn Bartholomew; former Staff Director of Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) Jonathan Stivers; DoYun Kim at National Democratic Institute for International Affairs; senior program manager of the International Republican Institute (IRI) Adam Joseph King; China Director at Human Rights Watch Sophie Richardson, and Hong Kong Democratic Council.

Earlier, a notice by the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) indicated that seven Hong Kong-based Chinese officials have been added to OFAC's list of Specially Designated Nationals.

The punitive actions reportedly target individuals from the Hong Kong liaison office. The LOCPG is China's main platform for projecting its influence in Hong Kong and has repeatedly undermined the high degree of autonomy promised for Hong Kong in the Sino - British Joint declaration.