US imposes sanctions on Chinese company & 2 officials over ‘human rights abuses in Xinjiang’

Washington on Friday imposed sanctions on a powerful Chinese company in the Xinjiang province and two officials for what it said were human rights abuses against Uighurs and other ethnic minorities.

The move is the latest blow to US-China relations. The US Treasury Department said it blacklisted the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), along with Sun Jinlong, former party secretary of the XPCC, and Peng Jiarui, deputy party secretary and commander of the XPCC, over accusations they are connected to “serious human rights abuse” against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.

The action freezes any US assets of the company and officials, generally prohibits Americans from dealing with them and bars Sun Jinlong and Peng Jiarui from traveling to the US, Reuters reports.

China denies that Uighurs are unfairly marginalized, and says it is addressing underdevelopment and lack of jobs in heavily Uighur areas.