Beijing said it will sanction three US lawmakers and an ambassador in retaliation for similar actions that the Trump administration took against Chinese officials last week for alleged human rights abuses against China’s Uighur minority population in the western Xinjiang region.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying announced the “corresponding sanctions” on Monday, Reuters reported.
Hua said the United States move “seriously damaged relations between China and the United States,” and that Beijing “will respond even more according to the development of the situation,” according to The Associated Press. The AP noted that it did not explain the sanctions beyond saying that they would correspond to those issued by the US.
The sanctions target Sens. Marco Rubio
Marco Antonio Rubio China sanctions Cruz, Rubio and others for Xinjiang legislation The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Argentum – All eyes on Florida as daily COVID-19 cases hit the votes of the 15K Republican Party president to protect to whistleblowers after Vindman’s retirement for ‘intimidation’ MORE (R-Fla.) And Ted Cruz
Rafael (Ted) Edward Cruz The Hill Campaign Report: Second-Round Elections in Texas, Alabama Scheduled for Tuesday American Airlines Reviewing Photos of Senator Cruz in Flight 4 Without a Mask Second Round of the Texas Congress to See MORE (R-Texas), as well as the representative. Chris Smith
Christopher (Chris) Henry Smith China sanctions Cruz, Rubio and others for Xinjiang legislation New Jersey headlines push forward progressive challengers in primaries Republican Rep. Chris Smith easily wins New Jersey primaries MORE (RN.J.), Ambassador for Religious Freedom Sam Brownback and the Congressional Executive Commission on China, according to news services.
Lawmakers’ spokespeople were not immediately available for comment.
US officials who were targeted by China’s sanctions have criticized Beijing’s treatment of the minority Uighur population. Rubio and Cruz have sponsored legislation that would punish China’s actions in Xinjiang, and Smith has been a vocal critic of China on issues ranging from Xinjiang to Hong Kong and the coronavirus pandemic, Reuters notes.
The Chinese government is accused of committing human rights abuses of Uighurs in the Xinjiang region, and reports indicate that members of the Muslim minority group have been placed in internment camps. Last month, The Associated Press reported that the Chinese government has acted in recent years to reduce birth rates among the minority group through birth control and sterilization.
Secretary of state Mike Pompeo
Michael (Mike) Richard Pompeo Overnight Defense: United States Formally Rejects Beijing’s South China Sea Claims | House ready to consider defense policy law next week 57 injured as firefighters combat fire on warship Pompeo formally rejects Beijing claims in southern China Sea Wells Fargo told employees to remove TikTok from phones working MORE Last week it announced that the United States imposed sanctions on senior Chinese officials for alleged human rights abuses. The sanctions under the Magnitsky Global Human Rights Accountability Law apply to three officials from the Chinese Communist Party, the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau and a former government official.
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