China Hits Back With Sanctions At US Senators

China announced "corresponding sanctions" against the United States on Monday after Washington penalised senior Chinese officials over the treatment of minority Uighur Muslims in the western region of Xinjiang.

The sanctions targeted Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, US Representative Chris Smith, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback and the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

Rubio and Cruz have both sponsored legislation that would punish China's actions in Xinjiang. Smith has also been a vocal critic of China on issues ranging from Xinjiang to Hong Kong and the coronavirus.

All three are members of President Donald Trump's Republican Party.

"The US actions seriously interfere in China's internal affairs, seriously violate the basic norms of international relations and seriously damage Sino-US relations," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters.

"China will make further responses based on how the situation develops."

Hua did not elaborate. (Reuters)