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US sanctions 7 Hong Kong liaison office officials, warns of dangers from national security law
- The officials were sanctioned over what Washington calls the erosion of Hong Kong’s freedoms
- Beijing had previously threatened ‘strong’ countermeasures if the US acts
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The United States on Friday issued an advisory warning to American businesses about risks to their operations and activities in Hong Kong and sanctioned seven Chinese officials from the city’s liaison office.
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The advisory – from the US Treasury and State, Commerce and Homeland Security departments – warns businesses operating in Hong Kong that they are subject to the territory’s laws, including the national security law, under which foreign nationals, including one US citizen, have been arrested.
It says businesses face risks associated with electronic surveillance without warrants and the surrender of corporate and customer data to authorities.
“Developments over the last year in Hong Kong present clear operational, financial, legal and reputational risks for multinational firms,” the advisory said.
All seven of the officials sanctioned by the US on Friday are deputy directors in the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong. The director, Luo Huining, was sanctioned last August.
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