The United States has imposed sanctions on two mid-level Chinese officials and several entities deemed responsible for suppressing Uyghurs with “serious human rights abuses in Xinjiang,” the region in western China where U.S. authorities said genocide is taking place.
The Chinese officials named by U.S. authorities are Hu Lianhe, the vice head of the Xinjiang Work Coordination Small Group of the Central Committee that has been instrumental in implementing Beijing’s Xinjiang policies, and Gao Qi, the deputy chief of the Yili region’s vice governor and former leader of the local public security bureau.
These sanctions come under the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act and were part of a coordinated action with the United Kingdom and Canada targeting 37 individuals in 13 countries to mark International Human Rights Day.
Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen emphasized the seriousness of the U.S. commitment to promoting accountability for human rights abuse and safeguarding the U.S. financial system from those who commit these egregious acts.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force has put on entity list three Chinese firms in the region, restricting their imports over forced labor practices involving Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other persecuted groups in Xinjiang.
COFCO Sugar Holding, one of the largest sugar traders in China, has participated in the state-directed poverty alleviation campaign and worked with local Chinese officials to source laborers from persecuted groups, the Homeland Security authorities noted.
Sichuan Jingweida Technology Group, a producer of magnetic devices such as network filters, power transformers, and radio frequency filters headquartered in Sichuan Province, was also on the list.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said his department remains committed to “eradicating the use of forced labor,” and that they will “continue to pursue companies that ignore the law and exploit those abused in the People’s Republic of China.”
But some critics say that the Friday actions are far from enough.
“While we welcome this news, the Biden Administration has dragged its feet to implement sanctions under the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act (UHRPA) for far too long,” read a joint statement from Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).
They called for the sanction of another Chinese communist official, Ma Xingrui, who is the Party chief of Xinjiang and a member of the Politburo, the top decision-making body in China.
The membership at Politburo shouldn’t shield Mr. Ma from U.S. targeted sanctions, the two lawmakers said.
In conjunction with the measures, the Department of Homeland Security’s Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force put on entity list three Chinese firms in the region, restricting their imports over forced labor practices involving Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other persecuted groups in Xinjiang.
State-owned COFCO Sugar Holding, one of the largest sugar traders in China, has participated in the state-directed poverty alleviation campaign and worked with local Chinese officials to source laborers from persecuted groups, the Homeland Security authorities noted.
Sichuan Jingweida Technology Group, a producer of magnetic devices such as network filters, power transformers, and radio frequency filters headquartered in Sichuan Province, was also on the list.
The third Chinese firm named was Anhui Xinya New Materials from Anhui Province in eastern China, which specializes in making functional fibers and textile materials based on hemp, cotton, wool, and Tencel.
In conclusion, the sanctions imposed by the United States on Chinese officials and entities are part of a coordinated action with the United Kingdom and Canada targeting individuals in 13 countries to mark International Human Rights Day. Despite this, some critics believe that the actions have come far too late and are far from enough.
