China has retaliated against the US by imposing sanctions on former US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross and six Americans involved with human rights institutions.

Beijing said it was responding to the recent US decision to place sanctions on seven mainland Chinese officials based in Hong Kong.

The move comes just two days ahead of US deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman’s scheduled visit to China for the second top-level meeting between the countries since Joe Biden took over as President in Jan and reflects China’s fierce ambition to prove itself as a superpower.

Billionaire Wilbur Ross has done business in China and as Commerce secretary spearheaded former President Donald Trump’s trade war with China.

The Chinese foreign ministry said that in addition to the sanctions on Ross, it was targeting Carolyn Bartholomew, chair of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, and Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch. China also imposed sanctions on officials at the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute, and the US-based Hong Kong Democratic Council.

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It is the first time Beijing has imposed penalties under a new counter-sanctions law that allows the Chinese government to target individuals or groups that help foreign countries enforce sanctions on China.

The US had already warned American companies over increased risks of operating in Hong Kong.  The Biden administration said companies should be particularly concerned about the Chinese counter-sanctions law.

China’s foreign ministry said in a statement: “The US has concocted the so-called ‘Hong Kong Business Advisory’ to groundlessly smear Hong Kong’s business environment, and illegally imposed sanctions on several Chinese officials,”. “In response to the erroneous practice of the US side, China has decided to take reciprocal countermeasures.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a Friday press briefing ,  “We are undeterred by these actions and we remain fully committed to implementing all relevant U.S. sanctions on authorities.”

“These actions are the latest examples of how Beijing punishes private citizens, companies and civil society organizations as a way to send political signals and further illustrates the PRC’s deteriorating investment climate and rising political risks,” Psaki added.

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The US had also announced new China sanctions two days before the first high-level meeting between the two sides under the Biden administration, which took place in Alaska in March.

A Biden administration advisory says businesses face risks of warrantless electronic surveillance, surrendering data to authorities and “restricted access to information.”

“Beijing has chipped away at Hong Kong’s reputation of accountable, transparent governance and respect for individual freedoms, and has broken its promise to leave Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy unchanged for 50 years,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement about the advisory.

On his part, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said in a statement: “I would like to stress once again that Hong Kong is China’s Special Administrative Region and its affairs are an integral part of China’s internal affairs,” “Any attempt by external forces to interfere in Hong Kong’s affairs would be as futile as an ant trying to shake a big tree.”