China imposes sanctions on US over Uyghur crisis

Zhao said the victims would no longer be allowed to travel to China in the future. Potential assets in China’s mainland, Hong Kong and Macau Special Administration Areas will be frozen. “Chinese citizens and companies are barred from doing business with these people,” the spokesman said.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom, established in 1998, has repeatedly criticized Chinese officials’ handling of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

According to human rights organizations and experts, Uighurs and other Muslims in Xinjiang province are being monitored by rigorous methods, including DNA testing and face recognition software. More than one million members of minorities are forced to drop their religion, culture and language in detention camps and in some cases are physically abused. The Chinese government is talking about “educational centers” that will help combat Islamic extremism.

The U.S. government has accused Beijing of genocide in connection with the repression of Uyghurs and has imposed sanctions on several Chinese politicians and organizations. In addition, the United States announced in February that it would boycott the Winter Olympics in Beijing