US Sanctions 24 China, Hong Kong Officials Ahead of Talks

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives for a two-day visit with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (not pictured) to discuss major challenges in the region, at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on March 17, 2021. Lee Jin-man/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

HONG KONG—The United States sanctioned an additional 24 Chinese and Hong Kong officials over the Beijing regime’s ongoing suppression of political freedoms in the semi-autonomous city, just ahead of the Biden administration’s first face-to-face talks with China.

The step reflects Washington’s “deep concern” about the erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy following changes to its election system endorsed by China’s ceremonial legislature last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a March 17 statement.