U.S. sanctions two chinese individuals, one entity based in Xinjiang

The U.S. sanctioned a Chinese entity and two individuals for “serious human rights abuses” against Uighurs in the Xinjiang region, the latest sign of strained ties between Washington and Beijing.

The sanctions, authorized under the Magnitsky Act, include Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and one current and one former official from the company, the Treasury Department said in a statement released Friday.

“As previously stated, the United States is committed to using the full breadth of its financial powers to hold human rights abusers accountable in Xinjiang and across the world,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the statement, referring to the region where the Uighurs live.

U.S.-China tensions have escalated, with Secretary of State Michael Pompeo recently casting the Asian nation’s leaders as tyrants. President Donald Trump has repeatedly called Covid-19 the “China virus,” and has vowed to punish the country for what he says is its role in causing the global pandemic.