CHINA SANCTIONS US LAWMAKERS, OFFICIALS, NGO HEADS

Tue 22 April 2025:

China announced Monday it will impose sanctions on US Congressmen, officials, and heads of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for “egregious behavior” on Hong Kong-related issues.

“Hong Kong is China’s Hong Kong, and Hong Kong affairs do not allow interference from the US. Any wrong actions taken by the US on Hong Kong-related issues will be resolutely countered by China with reciprocal countermeasures,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing.

The move came after Washington sanctioned six senior Chinese and Hong Kong officials earlier this month, citing “transnational repression” and further erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy.

The US accused Beijing and Hong Kong officials of using Hong Kong national security laws extraterritorially to “intimidate, silence, and harass 19 pro-democracy activists who were forced to flee overseas, including a US citizen and four other US residents.”

China’s latest move is an addition to an already escalating trade war between the two biggest global economies.

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Many experts believe that the real reasons behind Trump’s tariff hikes on China, starting in 2018, were a mix of economic, political, and strategic motivations.

Economically, Trump aimed to address the U.S. trade deficit with China, which was $419 billion in 2018, and protect American industries like steel and tech from cheap Chinese imports. He accused China of unfair practices, including intellectual property theft and forced technology transfers, which hurt U.S. companies.

Politically, the tariffs appealed to his voter base, particularly in manufacturing-heavy states, by promising to bring jobs back and counter China’s growing economic dominance. Strategically, the tariffs were a tool to pressure China into trade concessions and curb its geopolitical influence as a rising superpower.

While the tariffs disrupted trade and raised costs, they also sparked negotiations, leading to the 2020 Phase One deal. However, critics argue the moves were partly driven by Trump’s desire to project strength and reshape global trade dynamics, even at the cost of economic strain for U.S. consumers and allies.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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