- Foreign Secretary announces first UK sanctions against Chinese Government officials.
- Sanctions target four senior officials and the Public Security Bureau of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.
- New measures complement action by the European Union, Canada and the United States.
The Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has announced sanctions against the perpetrators of gross human rights violations taking place against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang, in a move coordinated by the international community.
The UK will, for the first time, impose asset freezes and travel bans against four Chinese government officials, as well as a Xinjiang security body, under the UK's Global Human Rights sanctions regime for systemic violations against Uyghurs and other minorities.
The measures come as part of intensive diplomacy by the UK, United States, Canada and European Union to deliver complementary action on Xinjiang. It follows the trend of a growing number of countries holding China to account for its human rights record, with 39 countries signing a joint statement at the UN.
Acting together sends the clearest possible signal that the international community is united in its condemnation of China's human rights violations in Xinjiang and the need for Beijing to end its discriminatory and oppressive practices in the region.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said:
The evidence of widespread human rights abuses in Xinjiang cannot be ignored - including mass detention and surveillance, reports of torture and forced sterilisation.
Working with our international partners we are imposing targeted sanctions to hold those responsible to account.
The UK sanctions will be immediately imposed against:
- The Public Security Bureau of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps - a state run organisation responsible for security and policing in areas administered by the XPCC.
- Zhu Hailun, Former Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
- Wang Junzheng, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and previously Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
- Wang Mingshan, Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and former Director of the Public Security Department of XUAR.
- Chen Mingguo, Vice Chairman of the Government of the XUAR, and Director of the XUAR Public Security Department.
