China announces sanctions against US congress members.
China's Foreign Ministry states that the measures against US congressmen are a response to US sanctions previously imposed against Chinese politicians.
Sputnik - On Monday (13), Beijing announced sanctions against senior US officials and entities, including Republican Senator Marco Rubio, in retaliation for Washington's sanctions against senior Chinese officials for the alleged repression of the Uyghur ethnic group in the Chinese Xinjiang Autonomous Region.
The Chinese sanctions will be applied to the US Congressional Executive Committee on China, Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, and Congressman Chris Smith, according to the State Department.
The implementation of measures against the US was announced by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying during the daily briefing.
Previously, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that with the Congressional decision, Washington committed a serious interference in China's internal affairs, deeply damaging bilateral relations.
According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the punitive measures imposed against the Chinese officials were related to "the mass arbitrary detention and severe physical abuse" of an ethnic minority.
In May, the US Congress passed a law requiring sanctions against senior Chinese officials for alleged oppression of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region of northwestern China.