Hong Kong Photo:VCG

The US sanctions on several Chinese officials are not legally binding in Hong Kong, stated the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) on Saturday, as they are unilateral foreign sanctions and not passed by the UN.

On Friday, the US Treasury issued an announcement to impose sanctions on 11 officials from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, including the Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam.

According to the US Treasury statement, the officials were sanctioned for “undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy and restricting the freedom of expression or assembly of the citizens.”

The US also prohibits transactions from within the United States that involve any property of the blocked officials. 

The HKMA said it has explained the relevant requirements of the HKMA to all authorized institutions in Hong Kong, and informed them that they should give fair treatment to all customers when evaluating whether to continue to provide services to persons or entities under sanctions.

Global Times