The United States State Department stated that it is currently analyzing the legislation passed by Hong Kong, known as the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. The department highlighted that the legislation contains “incredibly vague” clauses, and it is assessing any potential risks posed to American citizens. However, it did not explicitly mention whether the US is planning any retaliatory measures in response.
It is important to note that the US Congress has yet to finalize several bills targeting Hong Kong. One of these bills seeks to impose sanctions on around 50 local officials and judges, while another aims to close down Hong Kong’s three trade representative offices in the US.
The new law, which is known as the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, will take effect on Saturday. It has raised concerns among Hong Kong politicians who fear potential repercussions, although none of those politicians have been explicitly identified as targets for potential US sanctions.
Some Hong Kong politicians, speaking anonymously, have revealed that their peers are wary of the situation. In fact, at least a handful of political and business delegates who are part of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference are planning to avoid traveling to the United States in the coming months. They perceive this period as the most sensitive and believe that refraining from traveling will prevent them from being questioned or troubled by US authorities.
The concerns held by this group of individuals originated from the US decision to sanction 11 officials in August 2020. These officials were accused of undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy after Beijing imposed a national