Secretary of State Antony Blinken said via Twitter on March 27, “We condemn the sanctions imposed by the People’s Republic of China on two members of the independent, bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). Beijing‘s attempts to silence criticism of serious human rights violations in Xinjiang will only lead to increasing international scrutiny.”
The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement the same day announcing China’s decision to impose sanctions on USCIRF Chairman Gayle Manchin and Vice Chairman Tony Perkins, Canadian federal Congressman Michael Chong, and the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on International Human Rights (FAAE). Meanwhile, previous Chinese sanctions against U.S. personnel who have seriously undermined China’s sovereignty and interests on border-related issues remain in effect, the statement said.
Gail Manchin is the wife of Democratic West Virginia U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV). Her husband, Joe Manchin, served as governor of West Virginia and is the current chairman of the U.S. Senate Energy Committee. Gayle Manchin was appointed to chair the committee by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on April 19, 2018. She has now been appointed by President Biden to chair the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and is still awaiting a Senate appointment hearing.
In response, the State Department released a statement from Blinken, which read, “The United States condemns the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for imposing unfounded sanctions on two U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) commissioners in apparent retaliation for U.S. sanctions against Chinese officials linked to serious human rights abuses in Xinjiang. This comes after China sanctioned 28 U.S. officials in January and sanctioned U.S. officials and organizations that promote democracy and human rights around the world in July 2020.”
According to Blinken, “Beijing’s attempts to intimidate and silence those who speak out for human rights and fundamental freedoms will only contribute to increasing international scrutiny of the ongoing genocide and Crimes Against Humanity in Xinjiang. We stand in solidarity with Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union and other partners and allies around the world in calling on China to end its human rights abuses and mistreatment of members of the predominantly Muslim Uighur and other minority and religious groups in Xinjiang and to release those who are being arbitrarily detained.”
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