China says it will hit US officials with visa restrictions over ‘vile lies’ about Xinjiang
- The foreign ministry in Beijing said the move was a retaliation for similar measures from Washington
- China is accused of extensive human rights abuses in the region, including the detention of around a million Uygurs
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin denounced the US move on Thursday and said China’s move was a necessary step.
“The US has fabricated vile lies under the pretext of the so-called human rights issue, and used it as an excuse to interfere in China’s internal affairs, smear China’s image, and suppress Chinese officials. These actions have no moral bottom line and seriously violate international law and basic norms of international relations. China firmly opposes this,” he told a briefing in Beijing.
Falling short of providing further details, he said China has to punish those who have “concocted lies on China-related human rights issues, promoted the introduction of sanctions against China and harmed Chinese interests”.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on March 21 that the US was restricting visas of some Chinese officials for their involvement in “repressive acts” against ethnic and religious minority groups, without naming those who would be affected.
“Perpetrators of human rights abuses must continue to face consequences. The United States has taken action to impose visa restrictions on PRC officials for attempting to intimidate, harass, and repress dissidents and human rights defenders inside and outside of China,” he tweeted the next day.