China Sanctions US Lawmakers, Congressional Commission

China announced sanctions on U.S. lawmakers and a congressional commission in response to U.S. sanctions on Chinese officials for human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region. China’s sanctions, which include travel restrictions, target Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; Ted Cruz, R-Texas; and Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J.; U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback; and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, Beijing’s Foreign Ministry said July 13. A ministry spokesperson said the U.S. has “no right and no cause to interfere” in Xinjiang and urged the U.S. to rescind its sanctions or it will issue a “further response.”

A State Department spokesperson said the sanctions will not stop future U.S. actions against China. "Beijing imposed sanctions on U.S. officials and an organization that have worked tirelessly to expose the PRC’s human rights abuses," the spokesperson said in a statement. "These threats will not deter us from taking concrete action to hold CCP officials accountable for their ongoing campaign of human rights abuses."

Rubio and Cruz expressed indifference at the announcement. “I guess they don’t like me?” Rubio tweeted July 13. “Bummer,” Cruz tweeted. “I was going to take my family to Beijing for summer vacation, right after visiting Tehran.” In a statement, Cruz criticized China's treatment of the country's Uighur population as "egregious" human rights violations. "The Chinese Communist Party is terrified and lashing out," Cruz said of the sanctions. The CECC and Smith did not immediately comment.

The White House is considering additional sanctions against China, but is working from a limited menu of options due to Hong Kong’s significance as a financial hub for western companies, a July 12 report in the Wall Street Journal said. Officials plan to meet this week to move forward on more measures, which could include a range of narrowly targeted sanctions, the report said. The White House declined to comment.