Hong Kong cancels free visa to US diplomats
- Written by Prensa Latina
- Published in World
- Hits: 6636
Hong Kong canceled with immediate effect the free entry of US diplomats, a step taken by China in response to sanctions against 14 members of its National People's Congress (Parliament), local press reported today.
According to the reports, the authorities of the southern territory will begin to require visas from these personnel and will only apply waivers when they are in transit through the airports.
Visa procedures must be submitted to Chinese consular missions.
On Thursday, the country's central government announced the revocation of visa waivers for US diplomats to visit Hong Kong and Macao.
Beijing will also proceed with financial measures and a travel ban against officials of the administration of President Donald Trump, congressmen and representatives of non-governmental organizations.
Family members of these individuals will also be affected.
In this way, China fulfilled its warning to react in a forceful way to interventionist movements of the United States on sensitive issues such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and Tibet, after demanding that it stop straining bilateral ties and violating the basic norms that govern international ties.
But the White House ignored the call, imposed financial sanctions and banned 14 high-ranking members of the Legislature from entering the United States, by a law that supports the disqualification of opposition deputies in Hong Kong.
The event even led the Foreign Ministry to call the charge d'affaires of the US embassy, Robert Forden, for consultations and lodge a protest.
Observers agree that the sanctions are part of Trump's offensive at the end of his term to increase pressure on China and prevent his successor, Joe Biden, from purging confrontational bilateral ties.
