As we reported in the Trends Journal last week, just a day before the U.S. meeting with Chinese officials on 19 March in Anchorage, AK, the U.S. slapped 24 Chinese officials with economic sanctions, which prompted one of the officials from Beijing to say, “This is not supposed to be the way one should welcome his guests.”
Then, on 22 March, the U.S., U.K., European Union, and Canada joined together to impose on top Chinese officials in protest of what they said are human rights violations against the Uyghur minority. They accused Chinese officials of being “responsible for serious human rights violations in China, in particular large-scale arbitrary detentions inflicted upon Uyghurs and people from other Muslim ethnic minorities.”
Payback’s a Bitch
Four days later, in retaliation, China announced it would impose sanctions on four entities in the U.K. for spreading “lies and disinformation” about the conditions in Xinjiang province and allegations of large-scale human rights abuses.
CNBC reported that in addition to the entities, nine individuals will have their assets frozen in China as a result of the sanctions.
Officials in the U.S. and Canada have also been hit with sanctions from Beijing on Saturday, according to a report in The Hill. The move prompted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to condemn the move as “baseless.” According to the report, Blinken said,
“Beijing’s attempts to intimidate and silence those speaking out for human rights and fundamental freedoms only contribute to the growing international scrutiny of the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement the sanctions that have been imposed are “an attack on transparency and freedom of expression.”
TREND FORECAST: As we detailed last week in our article, “CHINA TELLS U.S. TO FU,” we continue to note that China will not play a secondary role to the U.S. or any nation. No longer do U.S. politicians, the Defense Department, the media, nor the American people chant, “We’re #1.” Indeed, by the decade’s end, that will be the Chinese refrain. Thus, for any actions taken by the U.S. and its allies, Beijing will double up on retaliation.
