U.S. and allies set to announce coordinated sanctions on China over Uyghurs 'genocide'

Nahal Toosi
·2 min read

The United States, Canada, Britain and the European Union are set to announce an array of sanctions on China on Monday over what U.S. officials have called a genocidal campaign against Uyghur Muslims, according to two people familiar with the issue.

The coordinated campaign offers a trans-Atlantic show of unity against the communist government in Beijing, whose global ambitions and international repression are of growing concern in Europe and North America. They also are an opportunity for the Biden administration to illustrate why it so often emphasizes the importance of alliances.

The announcements come after a tense high-level meeting between U.S. and Chinese officials in Alaska. They are likely to deepen divisions between the United States and China, as well as China and the other countries involved, and Beijing may choose to retaliate in similar fashion.

But they are not entirely a surprise — the Biden administration has made clear that it will not hold back on pressuring on an array of topics, including human rights, even as it seeks to cooperate on fronts such as climate change.

The sanctions are expected to vary in type, and will include Global Magnitsky economic sanctions on individuals alleged to be involved with the mistreatment of the Muslims in the Xinjiang region of China.

The EU on Monday morning approved sanctions against four Chinese officials involved in the internment of hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs. In response, the Chinese government sanctioned 10 individuals and four entities in Europe that it argues "severly harm China's sovereignty and interests and maliciously spread lies and disinformation."

The coordinated campaign of sanctions comes as Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on his way to visit European officials in Brussels. Blinken was among the U.S. officials who met with top Chinese officials in Anchorage last week.

A U.S. government official and another person familiar with the issue confirmed the plans. The State Department spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Stuart Lau contributed reporting.

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