China will retaliate against sanctions to be imposed later this month by the European Union on four top government officials and one entity accused of human rights violations against the Muslim Uyghur minority in China.
The sanctions, which are set to be approved March 22, will be the first by the EU on China since an arms embargo in 1989 following the Tiananmen killings. The U.S., Canada and the Netherlands said China's treatment of the Uyghurs amounted to genocide.
On Wednesday, the EU agreed to impose travel bans and asset freezes on four China individuals and one entity. The identities of those sanctioned will be made public later.
The officials are accused of human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims, said EU diplomats. The diplomats said the sanctions reflected deep concern about the Uyghurs in Europe, the U.S. and Canada.
United Nations human rights experts and rights activists say 1 million Muslims are being detained in camps in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. They accuse China of using torture, forced labor and sterilizations. The U.S. says 2 million Uyghurs are being abused.
China warned the EU against the sanctions and said they won't change anything if the EU interfered in its internal affairs. "We want dialogue, not confrontation. We ask the EU side to think twice," said Zhang Ming, China's ambassador to the EU. "If some insist on confrontation, we will not back down."
Zhang rejected accusations of human rights abuses and forced labor of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, saying "China haters" were spreading lies for political gain.
He also warned the EU against linking the investment deal the two sides reached in December with human rights issues or Beijing's actions on Hong Kong. "Economic issues should not be politicized," noted Zhang.
