Secretary of State Rubio says Beijing ‘broke promises’ to Hong Kong residents, depriving them of their freedoms.
The United States has imposed sanctions on six Chinese and Hong Kong officials to punish China for its ongoing crackdown on democracy advocates in the financial hub, which was returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
The US Department of State announced the sanctions on Monday. They target prominent figures, including Hong Kong Police Commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee and Secretary for Justice Paul Lam for playing a role in efforts to “intimidate, silence and harass 19 pro-democracy activists”.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X that Beijing had “broken its promises” after pledging to allow the territory a high degree of autonomy, “depriving Hong Kongers of freedoms” and engaging in “acts of transnational repression targeting activists on US soil”.
.@StateDept’s latest Hong Kong Policy Act Report demonstrates that Beijing has broken its promises to the people of Hong Kong. The United States is imposing sanctions on six individuals for undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy, depriving Hong Kongers of freedoms, and in being…
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) March 31, 2025
The sanctions, marking a rare foray into human rights by the administration of President Donald Trump, will block any interests held by the six individuals in the US and generally criminalise financial transactions with them under US law.
They also target Dong Jingwei, a former senior official at China’s main civilian intelligence agency who is now the director of Beijing’s Office for Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong; along with senior security and police officials Sonny Au; Dick Wong; and Margaret Chiu.
‘Aggressive’ crackdown
Beijing promised a separate system for Hong Kong when Britain handed over the financial hub in 1997.
But it then went on to launch major crackdowns on dissent, imposing draconian national security rules after large and at times destructive protests in favour of democracy swept the city in 2019.
The State Department’s latest Hong Kong Policy Act Report, published on Monday, pointed to two laws – the Beijing-imposed 2020 National Security Law and the Hong Kong government’s Safeguarding National Security Ordinance – which it said had been used to “aggressively” prosecute pro‑democracy and media freedom advocates.
Targets included the two former chief editors of the now-defunct independent news outlet Stand News – Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam – who were last year jailed on charges of conspiring to publish seditious publications.
Chinese and Hong Kong authorities said the National Security Law – which punishes subversion, collusion with foreign forces and terrorism with up to life in prison – has brought stability to the Chinese-controlled territory since the 2019 protests.
The six sanctioned officials were targeted in line with a US law that champions Hong Kong democracy.
Hong Kong’s top official, Chief Executive John Lee, is already under US sanctions.
