BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - US sanctions against 28 Chinese firms for targeting ethnic minorities met wth strong protest from Beijing.
The Ministry of Commerce urged the U.S. Government to lift the sanctions as soon as possible, and warned that China will 'resolutely safeguard' the country's interests.
'We strongly urge the United States to immediately stop making irresponsible remarks on the issue of Xinjiang, stop interfering with China's internal affairs and remove relevant Chinese entities from the Entity List as soon as possible,' the ministry said in a statement.
28 Chinese organizations that are accused of violating human rights and committing abuses targeting Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region were blacklisted by the U.S. Department of Commerce Monday.
They incude artificial intelligence companies Megvii Technology and SenseTime, and video surveillance company Hikvision. These companies are banned from exporting items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to the United States.
The EAR imposes additional license requirements on these firms, and limits the availability of most license exceptions for exports. They also cannot purchase any U.S. products.
A spokesperson for the Commerce Ministry expressed China's strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to Washington's efforts to slander and defame China's governance policies in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and interference in its internal affairs.
The policies and measures adopted by China in Xinjiang have won the support of the people of all ethnic groups and have achieved remarkable results, according to the spokesperson.
He claimed that the autonomous region's economy has gained momentum for development, the people of all ethnic groups live in harmony, the society is stable, and no terrorist attacks have happened there in the past three years.
But on Wednesday, a shocking report of Chinese authorities destroying burial grounds where generations of Uighur families have been laid to rest has emerged.
In the last two years, dozens of Uighur cemeteries were destroyed in the northwest region, AFP reported on the basis of investigation with satellite imagery analysts Earthrise Alliance.
Activists allege that it is part of the government's move to eradicate the ethnic group's identity in Xinjiang.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
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