中國取消對美國外交官護照持有人訪問香港，澳門的簽證豁免

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

China revokes visa exemptions for U.S. diplomat passport holders visiting Hong Kong, Macau

Reuters Wed., December 9, 2020, 11:39 p.m. PST

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Thursday it would revoke visa exemption treatment for U.S. diplomatic passport holders visiting Hong Kong and Macau after the United States imposed financial sanctions and a travel ban on more than a dozen Chinese officials.

Beijing will also implement reciprocal sanctions against some U.S. officials, members of Congress, personnel at non-governmental organisations, and their family members, over their "vile" behaviour on Hong Kong, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a news conference.

China urges the United States not to go further down this "dangerous and mistaken path", Hua added.

She declined to give any names of those sanctioned or to say when the sanctions would start.

The United States on Monday imposed financial sanctions and a travel ban on 14 Chinese officials over their role in adopting a national security law for Hong Kong and over Beijing's disqualification last month of elected opposition legislators in Hong Kong.

The U.S. action was widely seen as part of an effort by outgoing President Donald Trump to cement his tough-on-China legacy and to box President-elect Joe Biden into taking a similarly hardline position on Beijing at a time of bipartisan anti-China sentiment in Congress. Biden takes office on Jan. 20.

In August the Trump administration slapped sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and other top officials over what it said was their role in curtailing freedoms during a crackdown on the territory’s pro-democracy movement.

Translation

北京（路透社）- 中國周四表示，在美國對十多名中國官員實施金融制裁和旅行禁令之後，它將撤銷對赴港和澳門旅遊的美國外交護照持有人的免簽證待遇。

外交部發言人華春瑩在新聞發布會上說，北京還將對一些美國官員，國會議員，非政府組織人員及其家屬實施對等製裁, 因為他們在香港的“卑鄙”行為。

她說，中國敦促美國不要再走這條“危險而錯誤的道路”。

她拒絕透露被制裁者的名字或制裁的開始時間。

美國周一對14名中國官員實施金融制裁，並禁止其旅行，理由是他們在通過香港國家安全法方面的作用, 以及北京在上月取消香港在任的反對派議員的資格。

人們普遍認為，美國的行動是卸任總統唐納德·特朗普（Donald Trump）要鞏固其在中國強硬的遺產，並在兩黨反華情緒高漲的時候，令當選總統喬拜登（Joe Biden）在國會對北京採取類似強硬立場的努力的一部分。。拜登會於1月20日上任。

在8月，特朗普政府對香港行政長官林鄭月娥（Carrie Lam）和其他高級官員實施制裁，理由是他們在鎮壓民主運動期間減少自由方面有角色作用。

              So, it is another round of conflict between China and the US.