China takes reciprocal countermeasures against U.S. sanctions

BEIJING, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- China decided to take reciprocal countermeasures and sanction four U.S. individuals in response to the U.S. sanctions against four Chinese officials over issues related to Xinjiang.

The individuals are U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom chair Nadine Maenza, vice-chair Nury Turkel, and commissioners Anurima Bhargava and James Carr.

Henceforth, these four individuals are prohibited from entering China (including the mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao). Also, their properties in China are frozen, and they are banned from doing business with Chinese citizens and institutions, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian.

Zhao noted the United States imposed illegal sanctions against four Chinese officials under the pretext of the so-called human rights issue in Xinjiang according to U.S. domestic laws.

He said the move gravely interfered in China's internal affairs, violated the basic norms of international relations, and damaged China-U.S. ties.

"China expresses firm opposition and strong condemnation," he said, adding that China decided to take reciprocal countermeasures according to the anti-foreign sanctions law in response to this wrong move.

"Xinjiang affairs are purely China's internal affairs, and the United States has no right or qualification to interfere. The United States should revoke the so-called sanctions and stop interfering in issues related to Xinjiang and China's internal affairs," Zhao said.

China will further respond depending on the development of the situation, he added.