The Hong Kong government and several of the officials targeted dismissed the impact of the penalties while also condemning them as “blatant and barbaric interference” in China’s domestic political situation. The new sanctions are the first against officials in Hong Kong and mainland China over the city’s harsh suppression of pro-democracy protests, and are yet another indication that the United States has begun to treat Hong Kong as simply another Chinese city. Even if money is kept outside the United States, funds processed by Visa or Mastercard could also be affected. In a public letter issued to Lam on Saturday, an official at the Hong Kong Monetary Authority said that the sanctions had no legal standing in Hong Kong. Last month, Trump issued an executive order that ended the special status that the United States had granted Hong Kong in diplomatic and trade relations.

Source: bd News24 August 09, 2020 04:07 UTC