'U.S. needs to respect China's sovereignty, rule of law in HKSAR'

BEIJING, April 3 -- China will take firm Counter measures if the United States imposes visa restrictions on Hong Kong officials, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Monday. Wang made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to the U.S. announcement that it is taking steps to impose new visa restrictions on Hong Kong officials.

Wang said that in a report the U.S. issued again this year, it attacked and slandered the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HK-SAR), as well as HongKong's electoral system and its Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.

"The U.S. has discredited Hong Kong's democracy, rule of law, human rights and freedoms, and announced that it i...