China plans to restrict visas for some Americans amid rising tensions over Hong Kong.
The Chinese government announced on Monday that it would place visa restrictions on “U.S. personnel who have behaved egregiously on Hong Kong-related issues.” It is unclear whom exactly the Chinese government means by “personnel.”
“On who it applies to specifically, the relevant personnel should clearly know,” Chinese spokesman Zhao Lijian said in a press briefing.
The new restrictions are a direct response to the Trump administration’s decision to impose similar restrictions on Chinese officials over the country’s treatment of Hong Kong.
Hong Kong’s autonomy from China has been steadily eroding over time, but the issue has come to a head in recent weeks as China pushes forward a controversial “national security” law. The law would impose many new restrictions on the territory, with criminal penalties for vague acts such as inciting separatism or colluding with foreign powers.
Once enacted, it would create a new security force in Hong Kong to enforce the laws and would allow China to set up a separate security force of its own in the region.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has also announced that the U.S. government will stop sending defense equipment to the region.
“The Chinese Communist Party’s decision to eviscerate Hong Kong’s freedoms has forced the Trump Administration to re-evaluate its policies toward the territory,” he said in a statement.
