China responds to US with visa restrictions

China announced Monday (June 29th) issue visa restrictions on Americans “Having behaved badly” with respect to a controversial national security law in the Hong Kong Autonomous Territory, and in the process of being adopted.

Ignoring calls from Western countries and the Hong Kong pro-democracy opposition, Beijing intends to impose the text, which, according to its detractors, threatens the autonomy and freedoms of the former British colony. Returned to China in 1997, Hong Kong was rocked last year by massive protests against the influence of the central government.

Scalded by these events, Beijing has developed in a few weeks a text that bypasses the Local Legislative Council, making the Hong Kong opposition fear an unprecedented decline in freedoms in the city of 7.5 million inhabitants.

The law, currently under discussion in the Chinese National Parliament, could be adopted in the coming hours. It intends to suppress separatism, terrorism, subversion and collusion with foreign forces.

Anticipating the passage of this text to which it is opposed, Washington had announced on Friday visa restrictions against certain Chinese officials accused of calling into question the Hong Kong autonomy.

Silencing the pro-democracy movement

“The United States will never succeed in hampering China’s efforts to advance Hong Kong’s national security laws”said Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, on Monday.

“In response to [mesures annoncées par les] United States, China has decided to impose visa restrictions on US nationals who have behaved badly on Hong Kong issues “, he announced at a press conference.

China announced last month the bill, which was immediately judged by the Hong Kong opposition as a way of silencing the pro-democracy movement. For Beijing, it is a question of putting an end to the violence which enamelled the demonstrations of 2019 and of repressing the pro-independence current in the territory.

Since the handover, Hong Kong has enjoyed very great autonomy from the rest of the country ruled by the Communist Party, in accordance with the principle “One country, two systems”. Its inhabitants benefit in particular from freedom of expression, freedom of the press and independent justice. Rights unknown in mainland China.

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