China will retaliate if U.S. imposes sanctions over HK-related issues: official

China's central government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government will undoubtedly retaliate if the United States imposes sanctions, an official said Wednesday.

Some people in the United States have indeed gone too far by engaging in yet another round of bullying, Zhang Xiaoming, deputy head of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, told a press conference.

The special economic status of the HKSAR, including its standing as a global financial hub, has been earned through decades of hard work by generations of people in Hong Kong, Zhang said, stressing that such a status is recognized by the world and is also underpinned by the HKSAR Basic Law.

The HKSAR's long-term prosperity and stability are dependent on its comparative advantages in business environment and financial system and on the momentum of the mainland's economic development and the central authorities' support, Zhang said.

"We are full of confidence in Hong Kong's future," he said.