Ocean County Leader

The United States government has announced sanctions on six officials from Hong Kong. This move targets those considered responsible for eroding the city's freedoms and for their involvement in international repression efforts affecting both American and Hong Kong citizens residing in the United States.

Representative Christopher Smith (R-NJ) praised the action taken by President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are to be commended for sanctioning six Hong Kong officials complicit in undermining the city’s freedoms and responsible for transnational repression targeting American citizens and Hong Kongers residing in the US," he said. Smith condemned the Hong Kong government's actions, stating, "The Hong Kong government’s intimidation and harassment of Americans is unacceptable, as is the arbitrary detention of over 1,500 political prisoners—only Burma and Belarus have jailed political prisoners at a higher rate in recent times."

Smith also recognized the impact of the sanctions in working toward the freedom of Jimmy Lai, an entrepreneur and pro-democracy advocate. He noted, "President Trump promised to gain the freedom of entrepreneur and democracy advocate Jimmy Lai and today’s sanctions are a great first step and certainly ratchet up the pressure on both the Hong Kong government and the Chinese Communist Party."

As the Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, Smith has been engaged in addressing the situation in Hong Kong through hearings and reports. The commission has focused on the decline of democratic institutions in Hong Kong and advocated for sanctions like those implemented recently.

Past reports from the commission have addressed various components of the legal and political climate in Hong Kong, including the role of judges, civil society's transformation, and the function of prosecutors in political matters. These documents have underscored the broader context of the measures taken.