China announces retaliatory sanctions on Canada, US

Individuals sanctioned will be barred from travel to mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong, Hong Kong now being effectively no longer different from mainland China.

According to Global News, the two key members of the US International Religious Freedom advisory commission, Gayle Manchin and Tony Perkins, are among the individuals listed. Canadian MP Michael Chong (PC-Wellington—Halton Hills), the vice-chair of the Subcommittee on International Human Rights, has also been sanctioned.

The US, the EU, the UK and Canada presented a united front against China with their Asia Pacific region allies when they enacted sanctions and issued formal condemnations of the Chinese government.

At the core of the issue is China's massive repeated and egregious violations of human rights. In this case, MP Chong spearheaded an official report on China's treatment of the Uighur ethnic minority in their Xinjiang province, which may have possibly been influential in decisions to move ahead with sanctions.

This isn't the first time China has sanctioned individuals for similar reasons. On Jan. 20, 2021, they also banned anti-China figures Steve Bannon and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. They also went after British individuals and organizations on Friday for their criticism of Chinese authorities' actions in Xinjiang.

"The Chinese government is firmly determined to safeguard its national sovereignty, security and development interests, and urges the relevant parties to clearly understand the situation and redress their mistakes"

"They must stop political manipulation on Xinjiang-related issues, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs in any form and refrain from going farther down the wrong path. Otherwise they will get their fingers burnt."