China passes legislation to counter foreign sanctions

In response to mounting sanctions from Western countries, China’s top legislature passed an anti-sanctions law Thursday that could deny entry, freeze assets, and block the business transactions of individuals responsible for sanctions against China. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress used an expedited process to approve the law, bypassing public consultation and only requiring lawmakers to review the law twice instead of the usual three times.

Why did China pass the measure? The United States and its allies have imposed multiple restrictions on Chinese officials over the country’s oppression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and its crackdown on pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong. All 14 members of the Standing Committee face U.S. sanctions over the national security law it imposed on Hong Kong. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the countermeasure is necessary to protect China’s sovereignty and oppose Western hegemonism.

Dig deeper: Listen to Sarah Schweinsberg’s report in The World and Everything In It on the dangers of doing business with China.