China foisted sanctions on British lawmakers and lobby groups Friday, widening a chasm between Beijing and Western powers critical of alleged rights violations in Xinjiang.
The EU, UK, Canada and US sanctioned several members of Xinjiang’s political and economic hierarchy this week in a coordinated action over allegations of widespread abuse in the northwestern region.
At least one million Uyghurs and people from other mostly Muslim groups have been held in camps there, according to rights groups, who accuse authorities of forcibly sterilising women and imposing forced labour.
Beijing insists Xinjiang is an “internal affair” and has gone into attack mode as Western opprobrium mounts, putting sanctions on individuals from the European Union and Britain who have taken up the Uyghur cause.
It has also fueled a social media PR war against several Western brands operating inside China.
On Friday China announced sanctions against nine UK individuals and four entities, saying they had “maliciously spread lies and disinformation” over Beijing’s treatment of Uyghurs.
Those sanctioned included Iain Duncan Smith, former leader of Britain’s Conservative party, as well as other lawmakers and four groups which have been vocal in driving rights in Xinjiang and Hong Kong onto Westminster’s agenda.
Also on the list was a law firm which has taken up Uyghur rights causes.
Britain, on the other hand, accused China of attempting to “silence those highlighting human rights abuses.”
“We condemn China’s attempt to silence those highlighting human rights abuses, at home and abroad, including UK MPs and peers,” Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a tweet.
“While the UK joins the international community to sanction human rights abuses, Chinese govt sanctions its critics,” he added.
Raab called on Beijing to give the United Nations access to the region of Xinjiang if they “want to credibly rebut claims of human rights abuses.”
All of the sanctioned parties will be barred from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, while their property in the country will be frozen, and Chinese citizens and institutions will be banned from dealings with them.
“The United Kingdom (UK) imposed unilateral sanctions on relevant Chinese individuals and entity, citing the so-called human rights issues in Xinjiang,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The move “severely undermines China-UK relations” it added, warning Britain “not go further down the wrong path.”
