Chinese Communists Impose Sanctions on British Politicians, Lawyers, Campaigners
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has announced sanctions on a number of high-profile British politicians, lawyers, and campaigners, in retaliation for sanctions on regime officials for human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
“The United Kingdom (UK) imposed unilateral sanctions on relevant Chinese individuals and entities, citing the so-called human rights issues in Xinjiang,” a foreign ministry spokesman for the regime pronounced, insisting that the move was “based on nothing but lies and disinformation.”
The imposition of Magnitsky-style sanctions on Chinese officials, the spokesman railed, “grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs, and severely undermines China-UK relations”, before spelling out retaliatory measures:
The Chinese side decides to sanction the following nine individuals and four entities on the UK side that maliciously spread lies and disinformation: Tom Tugendhat, Iain Duncan Smith, Neil O’Brien, David Alton, Tim Loughton, Nusrat Ghani, Helena Kennedy, Geoffrey Nice, Joanne Nicola Smith Finley, China Research Group, Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, Uyghur Tribunal, Essex Court Chambers.
“As of today, the individuals concerned and their immediate family members are prohibited from entering the [Chinese] mainland, Hong Kong and Macao [Macau],” he warned.
“Their property in China will be frozen, and Chinese citizens and institutions will be prohibited from doing business with them.”
The official further added that China “warns the UK side not go further down the wrong path. Otherwise, China will resolutely make further reactions.”
Those on the list include a number of high-profile members of the House of Commons and House of Lords, with Sir Iain Duncan Smith, as a former Cabinet minister and leader of Britain’s governing Conservative Party, perhaps being the most significant.
“It’s our duty to call out the Chinese Govt’s human rights abuse in [Hong Kong] & the genocide of the [Uyghurs],” declared Sir Iain in a public response uploaded to social media.
“It speaks volumes that, while the UK joins the international community in sanctioning those responsible for human rights abuses, the Chinese government sanctions its critics,” commented British foreign secretary Dominic Raab, with what was by British standards with respect to China a reasonably robust tone.
“If Beijing want to credibly rebut claims of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, it should allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights full access to verify the truth,” Raab added.
Photo: GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images
