The United States said on Friday it would bar some Hong Kong government officials from entering the country. The decision is linked above all to the fact that Article 23 was approved in Hong Kong in mid-March, a new security law that imposes harsh penalties for anyone who criticizes or questions the power of the state, and which strengthens a pre-existing law that by 2020 it had already had the effect of paralyzing any form of dissent against China.
Until recently, Hong Kong was a free and democratic city, where the media was not censored and freedom of expression was guaranteed. In recent years, however, the situation has changed greatly due to the growing control and repression of the Chinese central government. In a statement cited by ReutersUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken he said that, “in response” to this situation, the US State Department decided to adopt restrictions against Hong Kong officials “responsible for the growing crackdown on rights and freedoms”. In the past the United States had already imposed similar restrictions for similar reasons: the statement does not specify either how many or which officials will be involved.
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