By Cate Cadell, BEIJING,
China
China on
Monday banned U.S. military ships and aircraft from visiting Hong Kong and
slapped sanctions on several U.S. non-government organizations for allegedly
encouraging anti-government protesters in the city to commit violent acts.
The measures were a response to U.S. legislation
passed last week supporting the protests which have rocked the Asian financial
hub for six months. It said it had suspended taking requests for U.S. military
visits indefinitely, and warned of further action to come.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying |
“We urge the U.S. to correct the mistakes and stop
interfering in our internal affairs. China will take further steps if necessary
to uphold Hong Kong’s stability and prosperity and China’s sovereignty,”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a news briefing in
Beijing.
China last week promised it would issue “firm
counter measures” after U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law the Hong
Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which supports anti-government protesters
in Hong Kong and threatens China with sanctions for human rights abuses.
There are fears that the dispute over Hong Kong
could impact efforts by Beijing and Washington to reach a preliminary deal to
de-escalate a prolonged trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
In more normal times, several U.S. naval ships
visit Hong Kong annually, a rest-and-recreation tradition that dates back to
the pre-1997 colonial era and one that Beijing allowed to continue after the
handover from British to Chinese rule.
“We have a long track record of successful port
visits to Hong Kong, and we expect that to continue,” said a U.S. State
Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“False accusations of foreign interference” against
the U.S. NGOs “are intended to distract from the legitimate concerns of
Hongkongers,” the official said.
Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Dave Eastburn
said port visits to Hong Kong and elsewhere around the world served as a useful
program to “provide liberty for our sailors and expand people-to-people ties
with our hosts”.
“With regard to the ongoing protests, we condemn
the unjustified use of force and urge all sides to refrain from violence and
engage in constructive dialogue,” he said in a statement.
A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of
anonymity, said China’s move would not have an impact on U.S. military
operations.
Visits have at times been refused amid broader
tensions and two U.S. ships were denied access in August.
The USS Blue Ridge, the command ship of the Japan-based
Seventh Fleet, stopped in Hong Kong in April – the last ship to visit before
mass protests broke out in June.
Foreign NGOs are already heavily restricted in
China, and have previously received sharp rebukes for reporting on rights
issues in the country, including the mass detention of Uighur Muslims in
Xinjiang.
The U.S.-headquartered NGOs targeted by Beijing
include the National Endowment for Democracy, the National Democratic Institute
for International Affairs, the International Republican Institute, Human Rights
Watch, and Freedom House.
“They shoulder some responsibility for the chaos in
Hong Kong and they should be sanctioned and pay the price,” Hua said.
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