【明報專訊】THE US STATE DEPARTMENT released the latest Hong Kong Policy Act Report and sanctioned six central government and SAR government officials, citing ''transnational repression'' targeting individuals who had fled overseas and ''erosion of Hong Kong's autonomy'' as the reason. They include Director of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong Dong Jingwei, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam, (now former) Commissioner of Hong Kong Police Raymond Siu, Secretary-General of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of HKSAR Sonny Au, and Assistant Commissioners of Police of National Security Dick Wong and Margaret Chiu.
In Beijing, the Foreign Ministry voiced strong dissatisfaction with the US's actions, criticising the US report for ''smearing the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle'', imposing illegal unilateral sanctions on officials from central government offices in Hong Kong and the SAR government as well as interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs. The SAR government also condemned the US sanctions, stressing its unwavering commitment to safeguarding national security.
The annual Hong Kong Policy Act Report released by the US State Department serves as a tool for Washington to exert pressure through sanctions. Since August 2020, more than 20 mainland and Hong Kong officials have been sanctioned by the US. Xia Baolong, Luo Huining, Carrie Lam and John Lee are all on the list. In addition, several high-ranking police or government officials involved in national security affairs, including former Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng, have also been targeted. According to the sanction decree, the latest six are banned from engaging in transactions with Americans or within US territory. Their property and interests in the US or in the control of US persons are also blocked.
The purpose of the US citing Hong Kong-related issues to sanction mainland and Hong Kong officials is to keep the topic heated so as to continuously damage Hong Kong's international image. This is the first sanction directly imposed on Hong Kong by ''Trump 2.0''—and it is believed to be just a warm-up. More manoeuvres from the US are expected after the verdict of Jimmy Lai's trial.
The US prides itself as the ''beacon of democracy and freedom'' and has enjoyed considerable advantages in the past by playing the human rights card in foreign affairs. However, over the past two months or so, regardless of whether it is domestic or foreign affairs, the actions taken by the Trump administration have raised eyebrows in the international community. Trump has provoked tariff wars everywhere, disregarded the sovereignty of US allies, openly meddled with the issue of Greenland, declared plans to make Canada the 51st state of the US, and betrayed its European allies in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Domestically, Trump has isolated and suppressed ''disobedient'' US media organisations and revoked the visas of hundreds of ''pro-Palestinian'' students in the name of combating ''anti-Semitism''. US law enforcement has recently detained a Turkish doctoral student—who had merely written an article criticising the Israeli military of genocide—without any criminal evidence, raising criticisms that claiming it was infringing on freedom of expression. The moral high ground that the US has once relied upon in its foreign policies is collapsing. Its attempts to point fingers at others only highlight its hypocrisy.
For foreign investors, Hong Kong is still the most important gateway to China. The SAR government should strive to demonstrate Hong Kong's international advantages and speed up its integration into the national development trend, while actively expanding cooperation with emerging markets and consolidating ties with traditional Western markets. Hong Kong must not lose its grip because of the intensifying headwinds from Washington.
明報社評 2025.04.02：「民主燈塔」形象崩壞 美國制裁徒顯虛偽
美國國務院公布新一份《香港政策法報告》，以「跨國打壓逃往海外人士」及「損害香港自治」為由，制裁6名中央及特區官員，包括中央駐港維護國家安全公署署長董經緯、律政司長林定國、警務處長蕭澤頤、特區維護國家安全委員會秘書長區志光，以及負責國家安全的警務處助理處長王忠巡及趙詠蘭。
在北京，外交部對美方做法表示強烈不滿，批評美方報告「抹黑一國兩制」，對中央駐港機構和特區政府官員濫施非法單邊制裁，干涉香港事務和中國內政。特區政府亦譴責美方制裁，強調當局會繼續堅定不移維護國家安全。
美國國務院每年發表的《香港政策法報告》，是美方施壓制裁的工具。2020年8月以來，先後有20多名內地及香港官員遭美方制裁，夏寶龍、駱惠寧、林鄭月娥、李家超等俱在名單之內，另外還有多名有份處理國安事務的警方及政府高官，包括前任律政司長鄭若驊等。根據制裁令，6人不得與美國人或在美國境內進行交易，在美國或由美國人控制的資產利益亦會被凍結。
美方藉涉港議題制裁內地和香港官員，目的是保持議題溫度，持續打擊香港國際形象。今次是「特朗普2.0」首項直接針對香港的制裁措施，相信只是熱身，黎智英案判決後，預料美方將有更多舉措。
美國自詡「民主自由燈塔」，以往操作人權外交牌，有一定優勢，但過去兩個多月，特朗普政府無論內政還是外交方面的作為，都令國際社會為之側目。特朗普四處挑起關稅戰，無視盟友主權，公然染指格陵蘭、聲稱要將加拿大納為美國第51州，在俄烏戰爭問題上又背棄歐洲盟友。
內政方面，特朗普排擠打壓「不聽話」的美國傳媒，最近又以「反猶」之名，撤銷數百名「挺巴」留學生簽證。日前美方執法人員拘捕一名未見犯事證據、僅曾撰文抨擊以軍種族滅絕的土耳其博士生，更惹來侵犯言論自由的批評。美國以往所恃的外交道德高地，正在塌方式崩毁，還想對其他人指指點點，只突顯華府的虛偽。
對外資來說，香港仍是國家最重要門戶，特區當局應致力彰顯香港國際化優勢，一邊加快融入國家發展大局，一邊積極開拓跟新興市場的合作、鞏固跟西方傳統市場的聯繫，莫因來自華府的逆風增強就自亂腳步。
■/ Glossary 生字 /
hypocrisy：behaviour that does not meet the moral standards or match the opinions that sb claims to have
smear：to damage sb's reputation by saying unpleasant things about them that are not true
manoeuvre：a clever plan, action or movement that is used to give sb an advantage
■休刊小啓：英文社評 將於4月4日清明節休刊一天，4月7日復刊。 編輯部