The US, EU, UK and Canada banded together to sanction Chinese officials over alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang on Monday, a potentially dramatic escalation in tensions with Beijing and a clear sign that the new Joe Biden administration plans to wield its alliances as a powerful tool to counter an increasingly assertive China.
“Amid growing international condemnation, the [People’s Republic of China] continues to commit genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, currently on his way to Brussels for meetings with European Union (EU) and Nato officials.
“These actions demonstrate our ongoing commitment to working multilaterally to advance respect for human rights and shining a light on those in the PRC government and CCP responsible for these atrocities,” he said.