China calls U.S. sanctions ‘gangster logic’

The White House says U.S. President Donald Trump has not ruled out more sanctions on top Chinese officials. They would come on top of actions this week to punish China for is handling of Hong Kong. Trump signed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act on Tuesday “…to hold China responsible for its oppressive actions against the people of Hong Kong.” It lets the president slap sanctions and visa limits on Chinese officials and banks involved in imposing Beijing’s new national security law for Hong Kong. A person familiar with the matter says discusions of potential targets are ongoing. The source says Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam is among the names being pushed. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the legislation Trump signed – and an executive order ending Hong Kong’s special status under U.S. law – were justified. “General Secretary Xi Jinping made a choice to violate the Chinese Communist Party’s promises to Hong Kong that were made in U.N.-registered treaty. He didn’t have to do that and he made that choice. We have to deal with China as it is, not as we want it to be.” Later on Twitter, Pompeo noted that Trump said the U.S. would quote ‘place a special emphasis’ on admitting Hong Kong residents as refugees. On Thursday – China’s top office in Hong Kong – slammed this week’s U.S. sanctions, calling Trump’s moves quote ‘ganger logic and bullying.’ Beijing said a day earlier, it will impose retaliatory sanctions against U.S. individuals and entities and has summoned the U.S. ambassador to protest the Hong Kong Autonomy Act.
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World News from Reuters

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