Carrie Lam, "Voluntary Cancellation of US Visa"... Full Support from Chinese Government
Luo Huining, Director of the Chinese Liaison Office in Hong Kong, "No Overseas Assets at All"
[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Hong Kong authorities strongly criticized the U.S. Treasury Department's decision to sanction senior officials of Hong Kong and China, calling it "blatant and barbaric interference."
On the 8th (local time), Hong Kong authorities issued a statement saying the sanctions were "shameless and despicable," and condemned the U.S. claim that the sanctions were in response to the Hong Kong National Security Law (Hong Kong Security Law) as an unconvincing excuse.
They also fiercely criticized the U.S. for passing Hong Kong-related legislation under the pretext of human rights and democracy since last year's anti-China protests, calling it a "double standard and hypocrisy."
Hong Kong authorities warned that the U.S. leaked personal information of Hong Kong and Chinese officials during the sanction process, stating, "It is like a government-authorized doxxing. We reserve the right to take necessary legal actions." They added, "We fully support the countermeasures of the Central Government of China."
Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥), Chief Executive of Hong Kong, also said, "We are fulfilling our honorable duty to safeguard national security. It is to protect the lives and interests of not only 7.5 million Hong Kong residents but also 1.4 billion Chinese people," and "We will not be intimidated," according to Hong Kong authorities.
In particular, Chief Executive Lam posted on her Facebook, "My U.S. visa is valid until 2026, but since I do not want to go to the U.S., I may voluntarily cancel it."
Lam also pointed out that the U.S. government mistakenly listed her home address as the Chief Executive's official residence instead of the Chief Secretary for Administration's residence (equivalent to Prime Minister), and that some sanctioned individuals, including herself, had their passport numbers disclosed.
Luo Huining (駱惠寧), Director of the Liaison Office of the Central Government in Hong Kong and a senior Chinese official in charge of Hong Kong affairs, sarcastically remarked, "Since I do not have a single asset overseas, the sanctions are futile," adding, "Maybe I can send $100 to former U.S. President Donald Trump to freeze my assets."
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