1 Apr 2025
The United States has once again blatantly imposed sanctions on six officials from Hong Kong and the mainland. This act is utterly shameless, a blatant trampling on China’s internal affairs, and fully exposes the ugly face of its hegemonism. It must be strongly condemned and firmly countered. Hong Kong is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and Hong Kong affairs are purely China’s internal matters. The U.S., however, has completely disregarded international law and the basic norms of international relations, and recklessly wielded the baton of sanctions. The “2025 Hong Kong Policy Report” it concocted is filled with black-and-white-inverted fallacies, maliciously slandering Hong Kong’s rule of law, democracy, and human rights situation.
The Chinese government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region have acted in strict accordance with the law. The introduction of the "National Security Law for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" and the "National Security Maintenance Ordinance" has effectively curbed violence and chaos, laid a solid foundation for Hong Kong’s stability and new development, and provided a strong guarantee for the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents. These are facts that are plain for all to see. Yet, the U.S. authorities have turned a blind eye to these efforts and insisted on crudely interfering in China’s internal affairs, attempting to intimidate and pressure officials through such actions.
In March, the International Pro Bono Law Association expressed concern over the U.S. unilateral sanctions at a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The U.S. sanctions on Hong Kong officials this time are a manifestation of its egregious unilateralism, seriously impeding the performance of duties by Hong Kong officials and undermining the governance of the Hong Kong SAR government. The U.S. has long been using the "human rights" pretext to act arrogantly in the international arena, launching wars in multiple countries and creating countless human rights disasters, drawing widespread condemnation from the international community. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned the U.S., and the UN General Assembly has also repeatedly condemned the U.S. embargo on Cuba.
The sanctions imposed by the U.S. will not succeed; instead, they will only make the people of Hong Kong more resolute in safeguarding national sovereignty and Hong Kong’s stability. China will certainly take strong countermeasures. The U.S. should immediately cease its interference; otherwise, it will surely reap what it has sown.
Junius Ho Kwan-Yiu
Member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council
April 1, 2025