China to penalize U.S. lawmakers over Hong Kong as retaliation

China said it has decided to impose sanctions on U.S. lawmakers, starting Monday, in retaliation for a recent move to penalize 11 senior Chinese officials for curtailing freedoms in Hong Kong.The United States "grossly interfered in China's internal affairs and seriously violated international law," Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters.Zhao said the targets of the sanctions are 11 U.S. citizens, including senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, as well as Representative Chris Smith. But, he did not elaborate on the details of the penalties. The three lawmakers are all Republican…READ FULL ARTICLE