Trump hits former Chinese police officer with sanctions over death in custody of activist Cao Shunli

The United States has slapped sanctions on a former Chinese public security official over the death of an activist in custody, the first time the administration of US President Donald Trump has taken specific action in response to human rights abuses in China.

Gao Yan, former police chief of Beijing’s Chaoyang district, was one of 13 perpetrators or enablers of human rights violations and corruption around the world targeted by the sanctions, which Trump authorised with an executive order on Thursday.

But activists said Washington was still not doing enough to tackle Beijing on human rights, an issue Trump has avoided during his meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, including their summit in Beijing last month.

The US Treasury Department, which administers the sanctions, said Gao was targeted over the mistreatment of veteran activist Cao Shunli, who died in custody in 2014 after being denied medical care on Gao’s watch.

Cao was detained at Beijing’s international airport in September 2013, while trying to board a flight to Geneva for a rights training programme. During the next six months in custody, the authorities rejected her family and lawyer’s repeated requests for treatment for her tuberculosis. She eventually fell into a coma and was rushed to a Beijing hospital before dying in March 2014.