So, consider the recent turn of events we have witnessed:
1. Beijing is now increasingly exerting pressure on HK, openly demanding the passage of Article 23, the disqualification of Dennis Kwok from Legco and the strangely convenient timing of the arrests of the pro-democrats. Some see the imminent end of "one country, two systems" with the coronavirus providing cover for Beijing to crackdown further on HK as Western governments divert their attention:
https://www.vox.com/2020/4/28/212345...foreign-policy
2. The Trump administration, trying to deflect blame from their own incompetent response to the pandemic, has blamed China. Trump is looking to punish China with "long-term" strategies such as sanctions, trade policies and so on:
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/30/p...ump/index.html
3. US Secretary of State Pompeo has once again condemned Beijing and HK governments for their recent targeting of the pro-democracts in the city:
https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/compone...abChangeable=0
So considering all three above, does this mean the chance of sanctions on HK officials under the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act is actually more likely than not? Trump wants to "punish" China. This Act gives him one tool to do so. And Beijing has been providing all the reason given their recent action. So what do you think? Are sanctions increasingly likely or not?