China sanctions 4 Americans over Hong Kong interference

ANKARA (AA) - China on Monday imposed sanctions on four officials of US-based non-government organizations in response to Washington's sanctions on Chinese officials over Hong Kong affairs, media reports said on Friday.

The personnel put on the sanctions list are John Knaus, senior director for Asia at the National Endowment Democracy; Manpreet Singh Anand from the National Democratic Institute, Crystal Rosario, National Democratic Institute’s Director of Hong Kong Office; and Kelvin Sit Tak-O, the office's project manager, according to Global Times.

Hua Chunying, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said these people are not welcome in China and will be banned from entering the country, including the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions.

Announcing the decision, Hua said that Hong Kong affairs are “purely China's internal affairs” and Washington should immediately stop interfering in the affairs of Hong Kong and China and “stop going further down the wrong path.”

On Nov. 10, the US Treasury and State Department sanctioned four mainland and Hong Kong officials -- including Deng Zhonghua, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office; Edwina Lau, deputy commissioner of police in Hong Kong, and Li Jiangzhou and Li Kwai-wah, two officials at the newly established national security office in Hong Kong.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid