HK and Macao Affairs Office slams U.S. sanctions on Chinese officials

The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of China's State Council on Tuesday expressed strong indignation and condemnation on a potential new round of U.S. sanctions targeting officials in charge of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) issues.

The acts of the United States are political bullying and are contrary to international law and basic norms of international relations, it said in a statement.

According to a Reuters report, Washington is moving to impose sanctions on up to 14 officials over their alleged role in "Beijing's disqualification of elected opposition legislators in Hong Kong." Those would include officials in China's top legislature and the Communist Party of China (CPC), with measures potentially including asset freezes and financial sanctions.