Rubio says US sanctions on 39 Hong Kong officials to stay in place
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said sanctions on 39 Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials will remain in the near future, even as Washington let a related national emergency declaration lapse last week. Rubio said the issue came up in talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that sanctions on 39 Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials will remain in place for the "near future," despite Washington allowing a related national emergency declaration on Hong Kong to expire last week.
Rubio said the fate of the sanctions came up during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, though he declined to elaborate on the substance of that exchange. He said President Trump had allowed the emergency declaration to lapse after determining that "circumstances had changed."
The sanctions, first imposed over Hong Kong's political crackdown, have remained a persistent point of friction between Washington and Beijing even as the two governments seek narrower areas of cooperation on trade and technology.
Read next
Rebuilding Gaza will cost $71bn and must include Palestinians, report says
A new joint report estimates that rebuilding Gaza will cost $71 billion, seven times the combined cost of all past offensives, and stresses that any reconstruction plan must directly include Palestinians in its design and implementation.
Houthis attack Saudi tanker as US launches more strikes on Iran
Australia unveils billions in new AUKUS shipyard funding for Adelaide
Chinese diplomats walk out of ALP conference after bid to eject Taiwan officials
