⁍ The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, the territory’s current and former police chiefs and eight other top officials.

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⁍ The sanctions were imposed under an executive order President Donald Trump signed last month to punish China for its moves against dissent in Hong Kong.

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⁍ U.S.-China tensions have been increasing daily and ties have deteriorated to what analysts say is their worst level in decades.

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– The Trump administration is ratcheting up the pressure on China over its treatment of Hong Kong. The Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, the territory’s current and former police chiefs, and eight other top officials for their role in curtailing political freedoms in the former British colony, Reuters reports. The sanctions were imposed under an executive order President Trump signed last month to punish China for its moves against dissent in Hong Kong and are the latest dramatic action by his administration against Beijing in the run-up to his November re-election bid. “We will not stand by while the people of Hong Kong suffer brutal oppression at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party or its enablers,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. The sanctions freeze any US assets of the officials and generally bar Americans from doing business with them. The Treasury Department said Beijing’s imposition of ‘draconian’ national security legislation had undermined Hong Kong’s autonomy and set ‘the groundwork for censorship of any individuals or outlets that are deemed unfriendly to China.’ Lam is the chief executive directly responsible for implementing Beijing’s policies of suppression of freedom and democratic processes,’ it said.