U.S. Secretary of State John Blinken speaks at a press conference after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers on March 24.
On Saturday (March 27), the Chinese Communist Party imposed retaliatory sanctions on the United States, three Canadian individuals and a Canadian parliamentary agency. The U.S. Secretary of State issued a statement later that night condemning the move.
On Saturday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement on its website sanctioning Gayle Manchin, chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom; Tony Perkins, vice chairman of the Commission; Michael Chong, a Canadian Member of Parliament; and the International Human Rights Commission, part of the Canadian Parliament’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.
In a statement on the State Department website, Secretary Blinken said the United States condemns the unfounded sanctions imposed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on two commissioners of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), apparently in retaliation for U.S. sanctions against Chinese officials involved in serious human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
Blinken also referred to two previous sanctions imposed by the Chinese Communist Party on U.S. officials. One was in January of this year, after President Trump left office, when the CCP imposed sanctions on 28 U.S. officials from the Trump Administration, and the other was in July 2020 when sanctions were imposed on U.S. officials and organizations promoting democracy and human rights around the world.
“Beijing‘s attempts to intimidate and silence those who speak out for human rights and fundamental freedoms will only exacerbate international scrutiny of the ongoing genocide and Crimes Against Humanity in Xinjiang.” Blinken went on to say.
He said, “We join Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and other partners and allies around the world in calling on China (the Chinese Communist Party) to stop human rights violations and abuses against members of the Uighur and other minority and religious groups in Xinjiang, and to release those who are being arbitrarily detained.”
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, nonpartisan U.S. federal government commission that monitors violations of freedom of religion or belief abroad and provides the President, Secretary of State, and Congress with policy recommendations to the President, Secretary of State and Congress.
Canadian President Justin Trudeau also called the Chinese Communist Party’s sanctions “unacceptable action. He tweeted, “We will continue to work with our international partners to defend human rights around the world.”
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau said in a statement that the Communist Party’s sanctions were unacceptable and that the Canadian government stood with the sanctioned lawmakers.
In a tweet responding to the Chinese Communist Party sanctions, Chuang wrote: “We have a responsibility to condemn China’s (CCP) repression of Hong Kong and its genocide of the Uyghurs.”
“We, who live freely in a democracy under the rule of law, must speak out for the silenced.” He said.
In response to the Chinese Communist Party sanctions, Zhuang Wenhao wrote: “If this means that China (the Chinese Communist Party) sanctions me, I will wear it as a badge of honor.”
On Monday (March 22), the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada sanctioned the Chinese Communist Party. The EU, the UK and Canada announced travel bans and asset freezes against four CCP officials and one entity over CCP human rights violations against the Uighur people in Xinjiang, while the US also announced sanctions against two CCP officials.
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