China’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that it has decided to impose sanctions against certain individuals and entity from the U.S. and Canada.
The sanctions were in response to the two countries’ unilateral sanctions on individuals and entity in Xinjiang on March 22, said the Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
According to the statement on its website, the sanction list includes Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Gayle Manchin, Vice Chair of the USCIRF Tony Perkins, Member of Parliament of Canada Michael Chong, and the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development of the House of Commons of Canada.
The individuals concerned are prohibited from entering the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao of China, and Chinese citizens and institutions are prohibited from doing business with the relevant individuals and having exchanges with the relevant entity, according to the statement.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized the new Chinese sanctions calling them an attack on transparency.
“China’s sanctions are an attack on transparency and freedom of expression – values at the heart of our democracy,” Trudeau wrote in a tweet Saturday, shortly after the new sanctions were announced. “We stand with Parliamentarians against these unacceptable actions, and we will continue to defend human rights around the world with our international partners.”
China’s previous sanctions on U.S. individuals who have seriously undermined China’s sovereignty and interests on Xinjiang-related issues remain effective, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.