U.S. Slams Hong Kong’s Crackdown on Activists Abroad

Trump Administration Condemns New Arrest Warrants Targeting Americans, Raising Fears of Escalating Transnational Repression

The Trump Administration on Saturday condemned Hong Kong’s July 25 announcement of arrest warrants and bounties for 15 overseas activists, including U.S.-based individuals, labeling it a brazen act of transnational repression.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the Hong Kong government of eroding the autonomy promised after the 1997 handover, targeting those exercising free speech, a core American value.

The move, under Beijing’s 2020 national security law, intensifies global concerns about silencing dissent abroad, with the U.S. vowing to protect its citizens from intimidation.

This latest escalation follows similar actions against activists like Simon Cheng in 2023, per Reuters, and aligns with FBI warnings of foreign harassment.

The US condemns the Hong Kong government’s latest round of arrest warrants on activists for exercising freedom of expression, including US-based persons. This Administration will always stand up for fundamental freedoms & will not tolerate transnational repression on US soil.

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) July 26, 2025