China sanctions U.S. political leaders

Three prominent Republican lawmakers and the U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom are known critics of the Chinese government’s treatment of ethnic and religious minorities, and their opposition has not gone unnoticed in China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying on Monday said his country’s government is sanctioning Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas, Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, and Ambassador Sam Brownback along with the Congressional–Executive Commission on China, an independent U.S. government agency that monitors human rights violations in China. Hua said the restrictions correspond to U.S. penalties but gave no further details.

What likely sparked China’s decision? The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on three senior Chinese officials over human rights abuses against Uighurs and other minorities in the Xinjiang region of China. The restrictions ban the three individuals from entering the United States and from doing business with Americans. The sanctions also freeze their U.S. assets.

Dig deeper: Read June Cheng’s report on the United States’ delayed response to China’s atrocities against the Uighurs.