Hours after the latest sanctions announced by China targeting several American citizens, the US said it is "undeterred" and added that it is "fully committed" to implementing all relevant Washington sanctions authorities.
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 the crackdown on democracy in the semi-autonomous region.
Reacting to it, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that these actions are the latest examples of "how Beijing punishes private citizens, companies and civil society organizations as a way to send political signals and further illustrate the PRC's deteriorating investment climate and rising political risk".
"We're undeterred by these actions and we will remain fully committed to implementing all relevant U.S. sanctions authorities," she said.
The sanctions come days before Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman is to visit China, making her the most senior U.S. official to visit the country during the Biden administration.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said, "The 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.
( With inputs from ANI )
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