Beijing has imposed counter-sanctions on several US individuals in response to US sanctions over Hong Kong, just days before America’s second most senior diplomat flew to China for talks amid rising tensions.

China’s sanctions, announced on Friday, are the first under its new anti-foreign sanction law. The penalties targeted Wilbur Ross, the former US commerce secretary, and current and former representatives of China-related organisations.

They come in response to American sanctions on Chinese officials in Hong Kong over Beijing’s crackdown on democracy in the former British colony.

The move came just before Wendy Sherman, the US deputy secretary of state, is due to visit China today, as Joe Biden seeks to confront Beijing over cyber hacking and tries to prevent deepening tensions from “veering into conflict”.

Ms Sherman will meet Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister as relations between the world’s two largest economies reached their lowest ebb in decades.

Cyber hacking is top of the agenda, after the US rallied allies to accuse and condemn China over a massive hack of Microsoft Exchange email servers. Ms Sherman will also raise human rights issues in Xinjiang, North Korea, Iran and climate change.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]