China has sanctioned a handful of American and Canadian officials in a cigarette for your response, amid growing tensions over the suppression of ethnic and religious minorities in Xinjiang province.
Gayle Manchin, chairman of the US Government’s Advisory Committee on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and his wife Sen. Joe Manchin
Joe ManchinBiden nominates Manchin’s wife to co-chair Appalachian Regional Commission Hill’s Morning Report – Biden goes to filibuster Liberals believe Biden has just made it easier to get rid of filibuster MORE (DW.Va.) and Tony Perkins, Vice-President of USCIRF, were sanctioned, Reuters reported.
Michael Chong, Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development of the Canadian Parliament (FAAE), and the eight members of the FAAE Subcommittee on International Human Rights were also sanctioned.
“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 its mistakes,” China’s foreign ministry said in a statement, according to Reuters.
Those sanctioned by China will not be allowed in China, Hong Kong or Macao, and Chinese citizens and businesses are not allowed to communicate with individuals.
The US coordinated sanctions against China with Canada, the European Union and the United Kingdom over China’s alleged human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims.
“These names include Wang Junzheng, secretary of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) Party Committee, and Chen Mingguo, director of the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau (XPSB),” the Treasury Department said in announcing the sanctions. “The United States is committed to using its full range of financial powers to promote accountability for serious human rights abuses in Xinjiang.”
“They must stop political manipulation on Xinjiang issues, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs in any way, and refrain from going the wrong way. Otherwise, the fingers will burn, “the ministry said on Saturday, according to Reuters.
China has denied allegations of human rights abuses in the country.
Some countries, including the United States, have labeled China’s treatment of Uighur Muslims a genocide.