In a press briefing on Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijan announced sanctions on 11 US citizens. This decision comes in response to the sanctions imposed by the US on Hong Kong and Chinese officials accused of curtailing political freedoms in Hong Kong.

On Friday the US imposed sanctions on 11 Hong Kong and mainland China officials over the implementation of the Hong Kong national security law. The sanctions were imposed under US President Donald Tump’s Executive Order on Hong Kong Normalization that was issued in July.

In response, Zhao Lijan announced sanctions on Monday against 11 US citizens with “egregious behaviors on Hon Kong-related issues.” The list consisted of lawmakers and individuals at nonprofit and rights groups, including US Senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Tom Cotton and Pat Toomey.

Zhao Lijan stated during the press briefing that the national security law in Hong Kong only targets a small number of criminals who “gravely jeopardize national security,” and that it protects law-abiding Hong Kong residents. China had to account for a heightened national security risk that came with Hong Kong’s return to China and “one country, two systems.”

He condemned the actions of the US, saying that the behavior “openly meddles with Hong Kong affairs, blatantly interferes in China’s internal affairs, and gravely violates international law.” As he stated:

Hong Kong is part of China and its affairs are entirely China’s internal affairs which allow no foreign interference. We urge the US to grasp the situation, correct its mistake, and immediately stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs.

It is unclear as to what the sanctions entail, and White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany has said that the sanctions are “symbolic and ineffectual.”