New Hong Kong police chief to increase security work despite US sanctions

HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s new police commissioner played down the impact of recent US sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese officials, while pledging to do more to safeguard national security in the financial hub.

The

US sanctioned six senior Chinese and Hong Kong officials

for “transnational repression” and further eroding the autonomy of Hong Kong this week, the first major move by the Trump administration to punish China over its years-long crackdown under sweeping national security laws.

But Hong Kong’s newly appointed police chief Joe Chow said the US sanctions were “barbaric” and proved Hong Kong’s national security work had been successful and effective.

“This means we should do even more,” Mr Chow told reporters.

“This should not be a question of whether I should be worried about being sanctioned, but how to do better and more,” he added.

China imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020 after mass pro-democracy protests, punishing acts such as subversion with up to life imprisonment.

A second set of national security laws known as

Article 23 was enacted in 2024

.

Some Western governments say these laws have been used as a tool of repression, with media outlets and civil society groups shuttered, and 316 people arrested, mostly democratic advocates.

Mr Chow added that although Hong Kong’s national security laws and enforcement since

mass pro-democracy protests in 2019

had brought stability to the territory, there were still what he called pockets of “soft resistance”.

He singled out those trying to incite others through the media, culture and art sectors, which the police would focus on.

Mr Chow succeeded Mr Raymond Siu, who was among those sanctioned by the US partly for coercing and placing HK$1 million (S$172,600) bounties on the heads of 19 overseas Hong Kong activists, including some in the US.

Mr Chow declined to comment on whether the police would issue more bounties in the future. REUTERS