Trump administration - announced that sanctions were imposed on 11 top government officials in Hong Kong

 Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

米トランプ政権 香港政府トップら11人に制裁科したと発表

2020年8月8日 4時41分

 アメリカのトランプ政権は、香港政府のトップ林鄭月娥行政長官をはじめ、中国政府の高官ら11人に対し、香港の自治を損ねたなどとして制裁を科したと発表しました。中国への圧力を一段と強めています。

 アメリカ財務省は7日、声明を発表し、▼香港政府のトップ林鄭月娥行政長官や▼香港警察のトップなど香港政府の幹部に加えて▼中国政府で香港の問題を担当する香港マカオ事務弁公室のトップ夏宝竜主任ら中国政府の高官など、あわせて11人に対しアメリカ国内の資産を凍結する制裁を科したことを明らかにしました。

制裁は香港での反政府的な動きを取り締まる香港国家安全維持法に対抗し、トランプ大統領が先月署名した大統領令に基づくとしています。

声明は林鄭長官について「自由と民主的なプロセスへの弾圧という中国政府の政策を履行する最高責任者だ」と批判するとともに、11人はいずれも香港の自治を損ね、香港市民の表現や集会の自由を制約したと非難しています。

ムニューシン財務長官は声明のなかで「アメリカは香港市民と共にあり、香港の自治を損なう者を対象に我々が持つ手段と権限を行使していく」と強調しました。

また、ポンペイオ国務長官も声明を発表し、「今回のアメリカの措置は、香港当局の行動は受け入れられず、中国共産党は『一国二制度』を維持するという約束に反しているという、明確なメッセージを送るためのものだ」として、習近平指導部を強くけん制しました。

トランプ政権は、香港国家安全維持法の施行を受け、香港に認めてきた経済や貿易などの優遇措置を撤廃するなど、中国への圧力を強めており、ことし11月の大統領選挙も見据え、対中強硬姿勢を一段と鮮明にしています。

Translation

The Trump administration of the United States had announced that it had imposed sanctions on 11 Hong Kong government officials, including the Chief Executive Lam Cheng Yue-ngor at the top, for impairing Hong Kong's autonomy. The pressure on China was further increased.

The U.S. Treasury announced a statement on the 7th that ▼ Hong Kong's Chief Executive at the top, Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, ▼ Hong Kong key officials, including the head of the Hong Kong police, ▼ Chief Xia Baolong who was the top official from China heading the office responsible for Hong Kong and Macau matters, together with other senior Chinese officials, in total 11 people were subject to sanctions that would freeze their assets in the United States.

The sanctions were to confront the Hong Kong National Security Act which was used to crack down anti-governmental movement in Hong Kong, and was based on a presidential decree signed by President Trump last month.

The statement criticized Chief Executive Lam Cheng as " the top officer of the Chinese implementing government's policy in suppressing the liberal and democratic process," it accused that all the eleven of them had impaired Hong Kong's autonomy, and had been restricting the freedom of expression and assembly of Hong Kong citizens.

In his statement, Treasury Secretary Munushin stressed that "the United States is with the citizens of Hong Kong and will exercise the means and powers we have targeting at those who undermine Hong Kong's autonomy."

Secretary of State Pompeio also a statement said that  "It is clear that this time the U.S.’s measures have shown that the actions of the Hong Kong authorities are not acceptable, and that the Chinese Communist Party is in breach of its promise to maintain a ‘One country, two system’,  and the action itself has send a clear message”, and was checking strongly Xi Jinping’s leadership.

The Trump administration, after noting the enforcement of the National Security Maintenance Law for Hong Kong, had strengthening its pressure on China, it removed the preferential measures such as on economy and trade that all along had been recognized towards Hong Kong; and in anticipation of the presidential election in November, a tough posture against China was being made clearer.

              In theory, after passing the Hong Kong National Security Law, China should have been expecting retaliatory actions by the US, such as removing the preferential treatment in economics and trade for Hong Kong. So, the political consequence is within the calculations of both parties.