China retaliates against U.S. support for protesters

China will suspend U.S. Navy stops in Hong Kong and sanction several U.S.-based rights groups, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday. Last week, President Donald Trump signed two laws sanctioning Hong Kong and Chinese officials for cracking down on pro-democracy protesters in the semi-autonomous territory. Hua warned of “further necessary actions” if the United States doesn’t change course.

Whom do the sanctions affect? The suspension will ban U.S. military ships and aircraft from visiting the territory. The sanctions hit organizations that China said “performed badly” in the ongoing demonstrations in Hong Kong, including Freedom House, Human Rights Watch, the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, and the National Endowment for Democracy.

Dig deeper: Read June Cheng’s report in Snapshots of China on the outcome of district elections in Hong Kong.