A quarrel over allegations of human rights abuses in China has worsened as Beijing has announced sanctions in retaliation against people in the US and Canada and the spread of corporate consequences.
Tensions have erupted over reports of forced labor used to harvest cotton in China’s western province of Xinjiang, allegations that Beijing routinely rejects as politically motivated lies.
Hennes & Mauritz AB stores in parts of China are being closed by their owners after the Swedish fashion retailer’s comments about Xinjiang led to an unofficial boycott. Japanese brands Muji and Uniqlo mingled this week while in Oregon Nike Inc. shares sank as investors feared the potential impact on his Chinese business.
Then, on Saturday, China’s Foreign Ministry announced sanctions against a Canadian parliamentarian and a parliamentary committee on human rights, as well as the heads of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, known as the USCIRF. Earlier this week, the commission praised the coordinated sanctions against Chinese officials by the US, Canada and European countries over China’s treatment of the Uyghur ethnic minority in Xinjiang.
“Burning fingers”
The Chinese measures were taken in response to sanctions announced a week ago by the US and Canada, which were “based on rumors and misinformation,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on its website. The Chinese government is “firmly committed” to protecting its national sovereignty, security and development interests, and urges the relevant parties to “clearly understand the situation and correct their mistakes,” he said.
The Xinjiang controversy adds to a broader confrontation between China and the United States and its allies that have taken root under Donald Trump and are getting worse under the Biden administration. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described China as “the biggest geopolitical test in the world.”
China has sanctioned European politicians and a think tank this week, including a German and a French member of the European Parliament and a former leader of the British Conservative Party.
The sanctions announced on Saturday target USCIRF President Gayle Manchin, who is the wife of Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin; USCIRF Vice President Tony Perkins; Canadian MP Michael Chong; and the Canadian Parliament’s subcommittee on international human rights.
“It must stop political manipulation on Xinjiang-related issues, stop interfering in any way in China’s internal affairs, and refrain from going the wrong way,” the foreign ministry said. “Otherwise, they will burn their fingers.”
They are barred from entering China, Hong Kong and Macao, while Chinese citizens and institutions are barred from doing business with them or exchanging with the committee.
In China previous sanctions on American individuals “who have seriously undermined China’s sovereignty and interests in Xinjiang-related issues” remain in place, the ministry said.
– With the assistance of Charles Capel and Jacob Gu