US-China tensionsU.S. hits Hong Kong officials with sanctions for 'transnational repression'
Justice secretary and five others targeted for undermining freedoms in city and beyond
Hong Kong Justice Secretary Paul Lam, left, at a 2024 ceremony. The U.S. now says he and others "have used Hong Kong national security laws extraterritorially to intimidate, silence, and harass 19 pro-democracy activists." © Reuters
NEW YORK -- The U.S. on Monday announced sanctions targeting Hong Kong Justice Secretary Paul Lam as well as five other Hong Kongers and mainland Chinese who have played a role in eroding Hong Kong's freedoms and in connection with acts of what Washington calls "transnational repression."