US imposes sanctions on China over alleged rights abuses, illegal fishing

The United States has imposed sanctions on China accusing it of human rights abuses in Tibet and over reports of fishing that it said caused damage to the marine ecosystem.

The US Treasury Department on Friday announced sanctions against two senior Chinese officials in Tibet for human rights abuses as well as the owner and founder of two China-based firms allegedly involved in illegal fishing activities in the Pacific Ocean.

Washington has accused Wu Yingjie, who was China's boss in Tibet from 2016 to 2021, and Zhang Hongbo, China's police chief in the Himalayan region reportedly since 2018, of abusing and controlling Tibetans in the north of the country.

Dalian Ocean's chairman Li Zhenyu and Pingtan Marine's founder Xinrong Zhuo, as well as other entities linked to the pair, have been accused by the US Treasury Department of doing damage to the marine ecosystems by exhausting fishing stocks, and trying to project its maritime reach by establishing a network of ports outside China.

In addition, Washington has targeted China-flagged fishing vessels connected to the sanctioned entities.

China, in turn, has accused Washington of turning “a blind eye to its own violations”. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Friday that Washington was “interfering in other countries’ internal affairs under the pretext of human rights”.

She said Beijing would “resolutely take effective measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests”.

MG