According to the State Department, it has blocked those who were involved in China’s crackdowns on freedom speech and religion abroad from entering the United States. The expanded ban was not announced by the department.
Antony Blinken, Secretary of State, stated in a statement, that sanctions were being applied to Chinese officials “believed to be responsible or complicit in policies or actions aimed to repress religious and spiritual practitioners and members of ethnic minor groups, dissidents and human rights defenders journalists, labor organizers civil society organizers and peaceful protestors within China and beyond.”
This move is in addition to the visa restrictions that were originally imposed by Trump over China’s treatment Uyghur Muslims living in the western region Xinjiang. It also serves as a repressive tool for pro-democracy activists and advocates for Tibet freedoms in Hong Kong.
Blinken stated that the United States rejected attempts by Chinese officials to harass and intimidate, surveil and abduct members from ethnic and religious minorities groups. This includes those seeking safety abroad and U.S. citizens who speak out in support of these vulnerable populations. “We will continue to use diplomatic and economic means to ensure accountability and defend human rights all over the globe.
Five men were charged by the Justice Department with acting for the Chinese government in a series brazen and extensive scheme to harass and stalk dissidents from China in the United States.
Brooklyn federal court filed the criminal cases against dissidents. They alleged that they had been trying for years to intimidate and dig up dirt on them.
This is not the first time that the Justice Department has brought criminal charges for similar conduct. In 2020, eight people were charged with working for the Chinese government in a pressure campaign to coerce a New Jersey man into going to China.
