China on Saturday announced sanctions against the chair and vice chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), Gayle Manchin and Tony Perkins, Canadian parliament member Michael Chong, and Canada’s House of Commons foreign affairs subcommittee on international human rights. These sanctions were in direct retaliation for sanctions imposed by the US, UK, Canada and the EU last week against Chinese officials for their involvement in human rights violations in the Xinjiang region.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China spokesperson stated that the sanctions imposed upon Chinese officials were based on “rumors and disinformation”:

The individuals [sanctioned] are prohibited from entering the 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. In the meantime, China’s previous sanctions on US individuals who have seriously undermined China’s sovereignty and interests on Xinjiang-related issues remain effective.

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. They 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. Otherwise, they will get their fingers burnt.

The sanctioned members of the USCIRF endorsed the sanctions imposed on China on March 22. The group also recommended that the US publicly condemn the actions in the Xinjiang region in July 2020.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in China also retaliated against the EU by sanctioning a number of individuals immediately following the announcement of sanctions against its officials on March 22. In its announcement of these retaliatory sanctions against the European Union, the Ministry spokesperson said that it is sanctioning “ten individuals and four entities on the EU side that severely harm China’s sovereignty and interests and maliciously spread lies and disinformation.” It went on to say:

The Chinese side urges the EU side to reflect on itself, face squarely the severity of its mistake and redress it. It must stop lecturing others on human rights and interfering in their internal affairs. It must end the hypocritical practice of double standards and stop going further down the wrong path. Otherwise, China will resolutely make further reactions.

The US and Canada have responded by condemning the retaliatory sanctions.