Asia

Hong Kong leader says won’t take US sanctions against her to heart

adminAugust 18, 20201 Mins read80 Views

HONG KONG: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday (Aug 18) she was not too bothered about US sanctions against her but the Chinese-ruled city will complain to the World Trade Organization (WTO) about a new US requirement on Hong Kong-made products.

The United States this month imposed sanctions on Lam and other current and former Hong Kong and mainland officials whom Washington accuses of curtailing political freedom in the financial hub.

"Despite some inconvenience in my personal affairs, it is nothing I would take to heart," Lam told a weekly news conference.

"We will continue to do what is right for the country and for Hong Kong."

The sanctions came in response to China's imposition of a sweeping national security law on the semi-autonomous city after prolonged anti-China, pro-democracy protests last year.

The legislation punishes anything China considers secession, subversion, terrorism or collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison and has drawn criticism from Western countries that worry the law will end the freedoms promised when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

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The sanctions freeze any US assets of the officials targeted and bar Americans from doing business with them.

Lam said that while she could not travel to the United States herself, her government would continue to promote Hong Kong to US businesses.

The US government has also required goods made in the former British colony for export to the United States to be labelled as made in China after Sep 25.

Lam said Hong Kong and China were separate WTO members and Hong Kong would lodge a complaint against the US decision.

The Hong Kong government initially denounced the US sanctions as "shameless and despicable" and "blatant and barbaric" interference in China's internal affairs.

Beijing and Lam's government have defended the national security law as necessary for the city's stability and prosperity, and they said imposing it was China's legitimate right.