The United States government has imposed sanctions on six Chinese and Hong Kong officials for their roles in implementing and enforcing the controversial Hong Kong National Security Law, accusing them of undermining the city’s autonomy and targeting pro-democracy activists, including American citizens and residents.
The sanctions, announced Monday in a fact sheet from the U.S. Department of State, are the latest response to Beijing’s crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong and the use of national security laws to pursue political opponents overseas — including in the United States.
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“These individuals have played leading roles in the transnational repression of pro-democracy activists and have worked to erode the freedoms guaranteed to the people of Hong Kong,” the State Department said in a statement. “The United States stands firmly with the people of Hong Kong and will continue to oppose efforts to silence dissent globally.”
The following individuals were sanctioned under Executive Order 13936 for their involvement in enforcing the National Security Law and repressing political freedoms:
- Sonny Chi Kwong Au – Secretary-General for the Committee for Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong SAR.
- Dong Jingwei – Director of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong SAR.
- Dick Chung Chun Wong – Assistant Commissioner of Police, National Security, and former director of the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) College.
- Margaret Wing Lan Chiu – Assistant Commissioner of Police, National Security.
- Raymond Chak Yee Siu – Commissioner of the Hong Kong Police Force.
- Paul Ting Kwok Lam – Secretary for Justice of Hong Kong, designated for being directly involved in developing and enforcing the National Security Law.
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The sanctions freeze all property and interests in property of the named individuals within the United States or in possession of U.S. persons. U.S. individuals and entities are barred from conducting any transactions with the sanctioned parties unless specifically authorized.
Entities that are 50% or more owned, directly or indirectly, by one or more sanctioned individuals are also automatically blocked.
Additionally, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) confirmed that the sanctioned individuals are now on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List, triggering mandatory reporting and restrictions.
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The State Department cited the use of Hong Kong’s national security laws beyond its borders — targeting 19 pro-democracy activists living overseas, including one U.S. citizen and four U.S. residents — as justification for the latest designations.
“These laws are being wielded extraterritorially to intimidate, silence, and harass,” the Department said, adding that the designations are part of a broader U.S. effort to combat transnational repression by authoritarian regimes.
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