Written by Chloe Choo
The UK, US, Canada and European Union have placed sanctions on Chinese officials over “human rights abuses” in Xinjiang’s Uighur detention camps, where allegations of sexual assault and torture have surfaced.
The sanctions, which have been imposed on a number of senior Xinjiang officials accused of human rights violations against Uighurs, involve travel bans and the freezing of assets.
Reasoning
Evidence of abuse towards Uighurs, including satellite images and Chinese government documents, has sparked global condemnation. The sanctions thus aim to send a signal towards those accused of infringing upon human rights in China and internationally.
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab referred to the treatment of Uighurs as “one of the worst human rights crises of our time”, while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that China is “committing genocide and crimes against humanity”.
Response
China has denied all allegations of abuse, referring to the camps as “re-education” facilities intended to eliminate extremist threats. It retaliated by placing sanctions on European officials for spreading “lies and disinformation”.
Affected officials will be barred from entering or doing business with China.
Significance
The European Union has not imposed new sanctions on China over human rights abuses since 1989, when troops opened fire on protestors in Tiananmen Square, Beijing. These new sanctions are symbolic of a hardening of attitudes towards China.
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