Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying is attending a press conference in Beijing, China on January 21, 2021.
Carlos Garcia Rawlins | Reuters
BEIJING – China imposed sanctions on British entities on Friday, saying British sanctions against Chinese individuals for alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang were based on “lies and misinformation”.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs imposed sanctions on four British entities and nine people who will be banned from doing business with China. Its assets in the country will also be frozen, the ministry said.
It is a step beyond previous Chinese sanctions on foreign entities. This week’s sanctions on European Union entities and those of U.S. politicians in January focused on banning travel to China and doing business.
The new sanctions against the UK are aimed primarily at people related to human rights, particularly those of 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 United States, the EU, the United Kingdom and Canada on Monday imposed sanctions on Chinese officials, the first coordinated action by Western nations since U.S. President Joe Biden took office. Countries cited human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region of China, allegations denied by Beijing.
On Thursday, Swedish clothing retailer H&M disappeared from China’s major online shopping sites after reactions on Chinese social media to the brand’s previous comments about alleged forced labor in Xinjiang. A similar statement from Nike caused two Chinese celebrities to sever ties with the American sportswear brand.