China announces sanctions against European individuals, entities

China on Monday announced sanctions against 10 individuals and four entities on the EU side, saying they had severely harmed China's sovereignty and interests and maliciously spread lies and disinformation.

The European Union (EU) imposed unilateral sanctions on relevant Chinese individuals and entity on March 22, citing the so-called human rights issues in Xinjiang, said a Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

The spokesperson said this move, based on nothing but lies and disinformation, disregards and distorts facts, grossly interferes in China's internal affairs, flagrantly breaches international law and basic norms governing international relations, and severely undermines China-EU relations.

"China firmly opposes and strongly condemns this," said the spokesperson, adding that the Chinese government is firmly determined to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests.

According to the spokesperson, the individuals and entities to be sanctioned are Reinhard Butikofer, Michael Gahler, Raphael Glucksmann, Ilhan Kyuchyuk and Miriam Lexmann of the European Parliament, Sjoerd Wiemer Sjoerdsma of the Dutch Parliament, Samuel Cogolati of the Belgian Federal Parliament, Dovile Sakaliene of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, German scholar Adrian Zenz, Swedish scholar Bjorn Jerden, Political and Security Committee of the Council of the European Union, Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament, the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Germany, and the Alliance of Democracies Foundation in Denmark.

The individuals concerned and their families are prohibited from entering the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao of China, said the spokesperson, adding that they and companies and institutions associated with them are also restricted from doing business with China.

"The Chinese side urges the EU side to reflect on itself, face squarely the severity of its mistake and redress it," said the spokesperson, urging the EU side to stop lecturing others on human rights and interfering in their internal affairs.

The EU side must end the hypocritical practice of double standards and stop going further down the wrong path, the spokesperson added.

"Otherwise, China will resolutely make further reactions," said the spokesperson.