China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying attends a news conference in Beijing, China, on January 21, 2021.
Carlos Garcia Rawlins | Reuters
BEIJING – China imposed sanctions on British entities on Friday, saying British sanctions on Chinese individuals for alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang were based on “lies and misinformation”.
The Foreign Ministry has imposed sanctions on four UK entities and nine individuals who will be banned from doing business with China. Its assets in the country will also be frozen, the ministry said.
This is a step beyond previous Chinese sanctions against foreign entities. This week’s sanctions on European Union entities and American politicians in January focused on banning travel to China and doing business.
The new sanctions against the UK are mainly aimed at individuals involved in human rights, particularly Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang.
Xinjiang is home to Uighur Muslims, an ethnic minority that the United Nations, the United States, the United Kingdom and others have identified as a repressed group.
The US, EU, UK and Canada imposed sanctions on Chinese authorities on Monday, the first action coordinated by Western nations since US President Joe Biden took office. Countries cited human rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang region – accusations that Beijing has repeatedly denied.
On Thursday, Swedish clothing retailer H&M disappeared from major online shopping sites in China after reaction on Chinese social media about the brand’s previous comments on alleged forced labor in Xinjiang. A similar statement from Nike prompted two Chinese celebrities to sever ties with the United States sportswear brand.