Sin. Ted Cruz mocked the sanctions imposed on him and a handful of other Republicans by China after his criticism of the country’s government.
Chinese officials announced sanctions against the Marco Rubio and Cruz Sectors, Representative Chris Smith and Sam Brownback, Ambassador General for International Religious Freedom, the Associated Press reported.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying called similar measures taken by the United States against Chinese officials as a measure that “had seriously damaged relations between China and the United States.” US sanctions have barred several high-ranking Chinese officials from entering the country.
“China will respond more according to the development of the situation,” Hua said.
“What a bummer,” replied Cruz. “I was going to take my family to Beijing for the summer holidays, right after visiting Tehran.”
Cruz has been one of China’s most vocal critics in recent years, blaming the country for the coronavirus pandemic and accusing the country of human rights abuses.
“It is really an unfortunate dynamic how China uses its vast resources to promote censorship, and all of our allies face this increased aggressiveness from China,” Cruz said in October, referring to recent pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
Earlier this year, Cruz said China was involved in an economic war with the United States and taking advantage of the pandemic.
“The Chinese government has explicitly threatened … to cut the life-saving drugs of the United States as a tool of economic warfare,” he said.
The Texas senator also addressed legislation that “would counter Chinese propaganda.”
“I am presenting these three bills to thwart China’s attempts to force Americans to self-censor, spread propaganda, and silence Chinese doctors, journalists, and activists who are trying to tell the truth about diseases and pathogens,” Cruz said during a speech. of flat in May. “These bills are part of a larger effort to untangle the United States from the Chinese network and hold the Chinese government accountable for hiding the truth about the coronavirus from the world and causing a deadly and devastating pandemic.”
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