The day before the US Secretary of State’s meeting with China, Washington imposed sanctions on 24 Chinese

On Thursday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will meet two senior Chinese diplomats, Foreign Minister Fang Jie and Foreign Affairs Officer Yang Zhiqi in Alaska. As a warm-up, the US State Department punished 24 Chinese and Hong Kong officials.

The move was justified by Beijing’s recent decision threatening Hong Kong’s autonomy and its treatment of local pro-democracy activists. Under pressure from Beijing, hardly a week It changed the Hong Kong election law, Thus essentially eliminating the remnants of Hong Kong’s democracy.

The sanctions were imposed in the United States with reference to the Hong Kong Home Rule Act (HKAA) passed last year. Among the 24 top officials are Wang Chen, a member of one of China’s most important decision-making bodies, the Politburo, and Tam Chu Chung, the only member in Hong Kong who has written the controversial new National Security Law, and some members of the National People’s Congress and heads of law enforcement as well.

Several of the individuals on the list were already banned from entering the United States during the Trump administration. In addition to an entry ban, sanctioned officials may not use US banking services, loans, purchase real estate, or do business with US companies.

During his recent visit to Tokyo, Blinken expressed his concern that “China is using coercion and systematic aggression to systematically destroy Hong Kong’s autonomy and undermine it.” Democracy in TaiwanViolate human rights In Xinjiang Tibet, as well as its claims in the South China Sea. “

China certainly will not like the new sanctions. (CNN)