US imposes visa restrictions on Chinese officials who intimidate rights activists and dissidents
March 22, 2022, 3:35 am

US imposes visa restrictions on Chinese officials who intimidate rights activists and dissidents

US is imposing visa restrictions on Chinese officials in order to punish Beijing for alleged repression, intimidation and harassment of human rights activists and dissidents, both in China and around the world (File photo: Pixabay)

The We For News reported, the US State Department said on Monday that US is imposing visa restrictions on Chinese officials in order to punish Beijing for alleged repression, intimidation and harassment of human rights activists and dissidents, both in China and around the world. As examples, Secretary of State Antony Blinken cited “genocide” of Uighurs and repression in Tibet and Hong Kong.

Blinken said that China is “attempting to intimidate, harass, and repress dissidents and human rights defenders inside and outside.” He added that “perpetrators of human rights abuses must continue to face consequences.”

Blinken said in a statement released by the State Department on Monday afternoon that the US “rejects efforts by [People’s Republic of China] officials to harass, intimidate, surveil and abduct members of ethnic and religious minority groups, including those who seek safety abroad, and US citizens, who speak out on behalf of these vulnerable populations.”

The State Department said that US sanctions target those officials “who are believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, policies or actions” targeting these communities, activists, and civil society “in China and beyond." It added, “We are committed to defending human rights around the world.”

Uyghur Muslims in China (File photo: Pixabay)

As an example of China’s “transnational repression,” the US said Beijing was trying to silence Uighur activists “serving the American people” by denying permissions to their family members to leave China.

Washington urged Beijing to “end its ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, repressive policies in Tibet, crackdown on fundamental freedoms in Kong Kong,” and other abuses elsewhere.

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The announcement comes after Friday’s call between US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, in which Washington threatened China with “consequences” unless it disavowed Russia and joined the US-led embargo against Moscow.

China is a sovereign country opposed to unilateral sanctions and reserves the right to defend its interests accordingly, the government in Beijing said in response. Xi told Biden that China stands for peace and against war and backed a diplomatic solution of the Ukraine conflict.

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The Chinese readout of the presidential phone conversation said: “All sides need to jointly support Russia and Ukraine in having dialogue and negotiation that will produce results and lead to peace."

Source: wefornews

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.