Photo: Xinhua

The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced sanctions against two US individuals, one Canadian politician and entity on Saturday as countermeasures against the two countries’ unilateral sanctions on Chinese officials over Xinjiang followed counter-sanctions on the UK and the EU.

The sanctioned personnel are Gayle Manchin, Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), Tony Perkins, Vice Chair of the USCIRF, and Michael Chong, Member of Parliament of Canada.

The Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development of the House of Commons of Canada is also on the sanctions list. 

The individuals sanctioned are prohibited from entering the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, and Chinese citizens and institutions are prohibited from doing business with the relevant individuals and having exchanges with the relevant entity, said the Foreign Ministry in a statement. 

China's previous sanctions on US individuals who have seriously undermined China's sovereignty and interests on Xinjiang-related issues remain effective, it said. 

China hit back at the EU and the UK by sanctioning nine UK individuals and four entities on Friday in addition to ten EU officials and four entities on March 22 after their unilateral move to sanction Chinese officials in Xinjiang. 

“The Chinese government is firmly determined to safeguard its national sovereignty, security and development interests, and urges the relevant parties to clearly understand the situation and redress their mistakes,” the ministry said. 

The Foreign Ministry warned that the relevant parties must stop political manipulation on Xinjiang-related issues, stop interfering in China's internal affairs in any form and refrain from going further down the wrong path before they get their fingers burnt.

Global Times