Beijing Calls U.S. Sanctions Against Chinese Diplomats Despicable ‘Clowning Actions’

Beijing’s top office in Hong Kong responded on Saturday to the announcement by the Trump administration of sanctions on senior Hong Kong and Chinese officials, calling them “clowning actions” that would not intimidate the Chinese people. On Friday, the U.S. imposed sanctions on top Chinese officials including Luo Huining, the head of China’s Liaison Office, and Carrie Lam, the chief executive of Hong Kong, over a new security law the U.S. says curtails political freedoms of Hong Kong citizens. The Liaison Office said in a Saturday statement that the “unscrupulous intentions of the U.S. politicians to support the anti-China chaos in Hong Kong have been revealed, and their clowning actions are really ridiculous.” The statement went on to say, “Intimidation and threats cannot frighten the Chinese people.”