China has taken a series of countermeasures in response to the US approval of the so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

Hua Chunying said in a routine press briefing that China decided to suspend the review of the request for US maritime vessels visiting Hong Kong and sanction several US non-governmental organizations, including the National Endowment for Democracy, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, International Republican Institute, Human Rights Watch, and Freedom House, effective Monday.