Hong Kong will consider counter-measures, Edward Yau says

The Hong Kong government will consider having counter-measures in response to the United States’ imposition of sanctions on Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and 10 other Chinese and SAR officials, Edward Yau Tang-wah says. 

Speaking after a radio program, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, who was not on the sanctions list, did not give any more details. 

Earlier on the program, Yau had criticized the US government for making blatant interferences in another country’s internal affairs. He said it was unreasonable for the US to target individuals and their assets, and called it “uncivilized” to publicize their personal information. 

Yau further accused the US for having double standards, as the country also has its own national security law. 

He described US’s move as “barbaric”, but added that the SAR still needed to see if the top officials would put into actions. 

On Friday night, the US Treasury Department announced that along with Lam, Justice Secretary Teresa Cheng, Police Commissioner Chris Tang Ping-keung, his predecessor Stephen Lo Wai-chung, Security Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu and Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai were among the Hong Kong top officials to be sanctioned. 

Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office director Xia Baolong, his deputies Zhang Xiaoming and Luo Huining, the director of the new Office for Safeguarding National Security, Zheng Yanxiong and Eric Chan Kwok-ki were also named on the sanction list. 

The 11 sanctioned individuals will have any property and assets in the US frozen. 

The sanctions are being carried out under an executive order President Donald Trump signed last month seeking to punish China for its moves against dissent in Hong Kong.

The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo earlier said his country would not stand by while the people of Hong Kong suffer, what he called, "brutal oppression at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party or its enablers.