U.S. Sanctions 24 Chinese and Hong Kong Officials Over Civic Rights This comes immediately prior to the first high-level meeting between U.S. and Chinese officials.
Mar 17, 2021 | 07:00 AM EDT
The United States has today deployed sanctions against 24 Chinese and Hong Kong officials for undermining Hong Kong s ability to govern itself and elect its own government. It s the first direct action against China from the Biden administration, and comes at a vital time, right as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting the key Asian allies of South Korea and Japan on his first overseas trip.
It s a symbolic first step that shows the administration of new U.S. President Joe Biden will go toe-to-toe with Beijing. There are major concerns here in Asia that Biden will take it easy on China, given the light touch deployed by the Obama administration in which he served as vice president. But times have changed, and so too, perhaps, has Biden s willingness to appease Beijing.
US sanctions 24 Chinese, Hong Kong officials ahead of Blinken s Alaska meet with Beijing officials aninews.in - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from aninews.in Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
MARCH 17, 2021
Yesterday in Tokyo, Japan, I spoke of the need to stand up for our shared democratic values and to work together to hold to account those who would threaten them. Today, we are again doing that. The release of today’s update to the Hong Kong Autonomy Act
report underscores our deep concern with the National People’s Congress March 11 decision to unilaterally undermine Hong Kong’s electoral system. This action further undermines the high degree of autonomy promised to people in Hong Kong and denies Hong Kongers a voice in their own governance, a move that the United Kingdom has declared to be a breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
AFP
A funding body in Hong Kong on Wednesday warned the city’s vibrant arts sector that it will soon face much greater scrutiny under a draconian national security law forbidding public criticism of the city’s government or the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The Hong Kong Arts Development Council said in a statement on its website that it was obliged to ensure that any artists, exhibits, or projects using its funding complied with Hong Kong law, including the national security law imposed by Beijing on the city from July 1, 2020.
“If the grantee violates the terms and conditions of the agreement in any way, like advocating independence of Hong Kong and overthrowing the Government, [we may] postpone, adjust, or suspend grant disbursement for the grant year,” the Council warned.