China slaps sanctions against multiple high level US officials
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Beijing on Thursday said it had slapped sanctions link on an unspecified number of US officials link who "concocted lies" about human link rights link in China link.
The tit-for-tat move comes after Washington announced visa restrictions on Chinese officials link of repressing religious and ethnic minorities in the far-western region of Xinjiang.
US-China relations have reached their lowest point in decades, most recently aggravated by Beijing's perceived support for Russia as it carries out a bloody invasion of Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week urged China link to "end its ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity" in Xinjiang, as Washington announced sanctions link on unnamed Chinese officials link.
On Thursday Beijing said it would "impose reciprocal visa restrictions on US officials link".
Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the sanctions link would apply to those "who concocted lies on human link rights link issues involving China link, promoted and implemented sanctions link China link, and harmed China link rights link interests".
"The US uses the pretext of so-called human link rights link issues to concoct malicious lies, and uses these as a reason to interfere in China link internal affairs, smear China link image and suppress Chinese officials link."
Wang did not disclose the names of the officials link to be sanctioned or the extent of the visa restrictions, but said the move was in line with China link anti-foreign sanctions link law implemented last year.
Rights link groups estimate up to one million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim minorities have been detained across Xinjiang in a network of "re-education camps" as part of an "anti-terrorism" crackdown.
Blinken last week said the US sanctions link mainly targeted Chinese officials link complicit in policies that repressed minorities, dissidents, human link rights link activists and journalists.
He criticised efforts by China link to "harass, intimidate, surveil, and abduct members of ethnic and religious minority groups, including those who seek safety abroad".
"We again call on the PRC government to cease its acts of transnational repression, including attempting to silence Uyghur American activists and other Uyghur individuals," Blinken said.
The US announcement came a few days after President Joe Biden spoke via video call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as part of American efforts to dissuade Xi from supporting Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. -APP/AFP
