Mon March, 2021, Age: 3 years
On Monday, the E.U. imposed sanctions on four Chinese officials, from the Xinjiang region, accused of involvement in the alleged human rights abuses against the Uyghur Muslim population. The sanctions will result in a freeze of the officials’ assets in the E.U. and prohibit them from entering or traveling through the European bloc. China, while at first denying the existence of mass detention centers in Xinjiang, has since acknowledged that they exist but has described them as job training centers and de-radicalization camps. China denies that human rights abuses are taking place, claiming that the treatment of Uyghur Muslims is anodyne. Last week, as the E.U. was preparing potential sanctions against Chinese officials, China warned that it would retaliate. “We want dialogue, not confrontation” said China’s ambassador to the E.U. Zhang Ming. “We ask the E.U. side to think twice. If some insist on confrontation, we will not back down, as we have no options other than fulfilling our responsibilities to the people in our country.”
