News analysis

US sanctions on HK, China officials sped up vocal mogul's arrest

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American sanctions imposed on 11 top Hong Kong and mainland officials accelerated the arrest of vocal anti-China advocate Jimmy Lai and six others under the national security law, political observers said.

Associate Professor Alfred Wu of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy said the arrests come as Hong Kong is caught up in the United States-China tussle.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 11, 2020, with the headline US sanctions on HK, China officials sped up vocal mogul's arrest. Subscribe