China is canceling visa exemptions for U.S. Diplomatic Passport holders visiting Hong Kong and Macao, in retaliation for Washington’s sanctions against 14 more Beijing officials announced on Monday.

The announcement was made by Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying on Thursday afternoon.

Reciprocal sanctions will also be imposed on some U.S. congress members for their poor performances on Hong Kong-related issues.

The latest tit-for-tat escalation came after the U.S. on Monday slapped financial sanctions and a travel ban on 14 vice chairpersons of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s rubber-stamp parliament, over their role in disqualifying Hong Kong opposition lawmakers last month.

Such sanctions “underscore that the United States will continue to work with our allies and partners to hold Beijing accountable for undermining Hong Kong’s promised autonomy,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.

Click here for Chinese version

---------------------------------

Apple Daily’s all-new English Edition is now available on the mobile app: bit.ly/2yMMfQE

To download the latest version,

iOS: bit.ly/AD_iOS

Android: bit.ly/AD_android

Or search Appledaily in App Store or Google Play