China's counter-sanctions avoid top Trump aides; Ted Cruz, Rubio targeted

The US said Friday that it was placing sanctions on 11 Chinese officials and their allies in Hong Kong, including Chief Executive Carrie Lam, over their roles in curtailing political freedoms

China said it will sanction 11 Americans in retaliation for similar measures imposed by the US on Friday, but the list doesn’t include any members of the Trump administration.

Those sanctioned include Senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton and Pat Toomey; Congressman Chris Smith; Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth; National Endowment for Democracy President Carl Gershman; and Michael Abramowitz, the president of Freedom House, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a briefing in Beijing on Monday.

“In response to the US’s wrong behaviors, China has decided to impose sanctions on those individuals who behaved badly on