China sanctions four US officials after Washington’s measures over Xinjiang

Name: US sanctions DJI and 7 other Chinese companies over alleged Xinjiang human rights abuses
Uploaded: 2021-12-21T11:08:12.000Z
Duration: 1 min 42 s
Description: US sanctions DJI and 7 other Chinese companies over alleged Xinjiang human rights abuses

Four members of a US government body monitoring religious freedom are banned from entering China or doing business there

The US had imposed sanctions on Chinese officials over policies in Xinjiang, where Beijing is accused of human rights abuses against Uygur Muslims

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The Chinese region of Xinjiang is at the centre of the exchange of sanctions. Photo: EPA-EFE

Jun Mai

Published: 7:08pm, 21 Dec 2021Updated: 2:47am, 22 Dec 2021

Beijing has announced sanctions against four members of a US government commission monitoring religious freedom, in response to Washington’s latest sanctions targeting China’s Xinjiang policies two weeks ago.

Speaking at Tuesday’s regular press conference, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the quartet from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) were its chairwoman Nadine Maenza, vice-chairman Nury Turkel and commissioners Anurima Bhargava and James Carr.

The bipartisan commission monitors freedom of religion outside the United States and makes policy recommendations for the president, the secretary of state and Congress.

The sanctions ban the four from entering China, including Hong Kong and Macau, freeze their assets in China and prohibit them from doing business with Chinese nationals and institutions, Zhao said.

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US sanctions DJI and 7 other Chinese companies over alleged Xinjiang human rights abuses

Maenza responded in a USCIRF announcement made after Beijing’s move, calling the sanctions against her and her colleagues “baseless” and “in response to growing concern over egregious human rights and religious freedom violations”.