EU ambassadors agree to China sanctions: reports

European Union (EU) ambassadors agreed on Wednesday to issue sanctions against Chinese officials for alleged human rights abuses against the Chinese Uyghur population, multiple news outlets reported.

Two diplomats told Reuters that the ambassadors backed travel bans and asset freezes for four individuals and one entity.

The names of the people and the entity being sanctioned will not be released until the EU gives its final approval to a slate of sanctions against people and entities in six countries, multiple diplomats told Politico. The EU is scheduled to consider the sanctions package on March 22. 

“Restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses adopted,” one EU diplomat told Reuters. 

The move against China comes as the country has faced scrutiny for its treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority. Experts say at least 1 million are being detained in the region of Xinjiang. The Netherlands, Canada and the U.S. have designated China’s conduct as genocide.

But China dismisses the label and has repeatedly denied allegations of mistreatment of the population, claiming detention camps are being used to combat religious extremism.

The Chinese mission to the EU responded to the reports by reposting its ambassador to the EU Zhang Ming’s Tuesday comments requesting the bloc to reconsider.

“Sanctions are confrontational,” the Chinese mission said on Twitter. “We want dialogue, not confrontation. We ask the EU side to think twice. If some insist on confrontation, we will not back down, as we have no options other than fulfilling our responsibilities to the people.”