China is sanctioning British lawmakers and entities in retaliation for the Xinjiang measures

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In a statement on Friday, China’s foreign ministry said the United Kingdom had “imposed unilateral sanctions on relevant Chinese individuals and entities, citing so-called human rights issues in Xinjiang.”

“This movement, based only on lies and misinformation, blatantly violates international law and the basic rules governing international relations, seriously interferes in China’s internal affairs, and seriously undermines China-UK relations.”

Among those sanctioned are five members of parliament – Tom Tugendhat, Iain Duncan Smith, Neil O’Brien, Tim Loughton and Nusrat Ghani – and two members of the House of Lords, David Alton and Helena Kennedy, as well as academician Joanne Smith Finley and lawyer Geoffrey. Nice.

Four entities have also been named by Beijing: China Research Group, the Conservative Party Rights Commission, the Uyghur Tribunal and the Essex Court Chambers, a London law firm.

“China is firmly committed to protecting its national sovereignty, security and development interests and warns the British side not to go the wrong way,” the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement. “Otherwise, China will resolutely react further.”

In response, British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab said that “he says a lot that while Britain joins the international community in sanctioning those responsible for human rights violations, the Chinese government is sanctioning its critics.”

“If Beijing wants to credibly reject claims of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, it should give the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights full access to verify the truth,” he said in a statement.

The persons concerned and their close family members are prohibited from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao. Their property in China will be frozen, and Chinese citizens and institutions will be barred from doing business with them, according to the foreign ministry statement.

The UK ambassador to China was also summoned by Beijing to submit what he described as “solemn representations, expressing strong opposition and strong condemnation”.

While relations between Beijing and London have suffered as a result of the ongoing crackdown in Hong Kong, which Britain has suggested violates a historic deal with China, the new sanctions could send them to new lows.

It is certainly a stark contrast to just five years ago, when then-British Prime Minister David Cameron shared a beer with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit to Britain that was to begin a “new golden age” in ties. between the two. nations.

“It will not be silenced”

Reacting to the news on Twitter, Iain Duncan Smith, a member of parliament and former leader of the Conservative Party, said that sanctions against him were a “badge of honor”.

“It is our duty to call for Chinese (government) human rights abuses in Hong Kong (and) Uyghur genocide,” Duncan Smith wrote. “Those of us who live free life under the rule of law must speak for those who have no voice.”

Smith Finley, the British academician, said she was sanctioned “because she told the truth” about Xinjiang “and because she has a conscience”.

“I have no regrets that I spoke and I will not be silenced,” she wrote on Twitter.

The measures come after Britain, in coordination with the European Union, Canada and the United States, announced new sanctions on Xinjiang on Monday, targeting those responsible for repression there.

“These actions demonstrate our continued commitment to work multilaterally to promote respect for human rights and to shed light on those in the (Chinese) and (Communist Party) governments responsible for these atrocities,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken , following this move.

China responded almost immediately with tit-for-tat punishments, announcing sanctions against 10 EU politicians and four entities – an aggressive move that called into question Beijing’s relationship with Brussels.

Speaking on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that “for a long time, the United States and the West have inadvertently interfered in the internal affairs of other countries, using democracy and human rights as an excuse.”

In a statement, however, David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament, said that China’s sanctioning of members of the European Parliament was “unacceptable and would have consequences”.

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