China denies Beijing-led Human Rights Abuses and Adopts Reciprocal Countermeasures on U.S. Officials
GHRTV
31-03-2022
Michela Rivellino
China and Human Rights Researcher
Global Human Rights Defence
Following the recent human rights-related sanctions imposed by the U.S. on several Chinese entities, Beijing has decided to react by forcing visa restrictions on those U.S. officials who have fabricated “lies” about China’s human rights record, undermining its reputation at the international level.
On March 31, the Chinese Foreign Minister’s spokesperson Wang Wenbin accused the United States of violating international law, as well as the essential rules governing international relations. Therefore, Wang announced new counter-sanctions against U.S government officials in a way to defend China’s sovereignty, as well as its development and security interests.
While Beijing strains to turn the tables and cleanse its compromised reputation, international rights groups keep denouncing massive human rights abuses perpetrated by the Chinese regime against up to one million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.
Sources and further reading:
Global Times. (2022, March 31). “China to impose visa restriction on US officials as reciprocal countermeasure: Chinese FM”. Global Times. From
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202203/1257287.shtml.
AFP. (2022, March 31). “China sanctions US officials who ‘concocted lies’ on human rights”. The Guardian. From
https://guardian.ng/news/china-sanctions-us-officials-who-concocted-lies-on-human-rights/.
