Beijing sanctions US officials over Xinjiang criticism
BEIJING: China blacklisted four members of a US federal commission on religious freedom on Tuesday in the latest tit-for-tat response to Washington’s own sanctions targeting alleged perpetrators of “genocide” in Xinjiang.
China’s treatment of Tibetans, Muslim minority Uighurs in Xinjiang and an ongoing crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong have contributed to worsening diplomatic relations between Western powers and Beijing.
On Tuesday China announced the latest targets - four members of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
Beijing’s foreign ministry named chairwoman Nadine Maenza, vice-chairman Nury Turkel, as well as commissioners Anurima Bhargava and James W Carr as newly sanctioned.
“These countermeasures include the prohibition of the above-mentioned persons from entering China and the freezing of their assets in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau,” spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters.
On Monday the US also named a new “special coordinator for Tibetan Issues”, who will be tasked with restarting dialogue between the Dalai Lama and China, as well as promoting “respect for the human rights” of Tibetans.
Zhao said China was “firmly opposed” to the move. “Tibet affairs are purely China’s internal affairs and brook no interference from any foreign forces,” he said on Tuesday.
Accounts of ‘livestream queen’ disappear
The social media accounts of an influencer known as China’s ‘livestreaming queen’ disappeared on Tuesday, after she was ordered to pay a record $200 million fine for tax evasion.
Huang Wei, known by her username Viya, is one of China’s most prominent livestreamers., boasting over 110mn followers on social media.
But her star has fallen fast since authorities on Monday announced the 1.3 billion yuan penalty (nearly US$200 million) - the biggest of its kind in Beijing’s sweeping crackdown on celebrities. Viya’s accounts vanished from major online platforms on Tuesday.
Pakistan tests missile with additional range Pakistan’s military test-fired a home-grown Babur cruise missile on Tuesday that has a range of more than 900km, twice the distance of an earlier missile of the same model, a statement said. The missile’s extended range further enhances nuclear-armed Pakistan’s military capability.