China announces retaliatory sanctions against the U.S.

On 10th August 2020, China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian announced sanctions against 11 U.S. individuals. These sanctions were a retaliation for the 11 individuals sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury on 7th August 2020. The U.S. Treasury press release states that the U.S. sanctions were due to the undermining of “Hong Kong’s autonomy and restricting the freedom of expression or assembly of the citizens of Hong Kong.” China’s response is that the U.S. sanctions “interfere in China's internal affairs, and gravely violates international law and basic norms governing international relations.”