China has announced sanctions on a US Democratic congressman for ‘frequent interference’ in China's internal affairs, in the latest demonstration of its displeasure with US politicians who criticize its policies and practices.
The target is Jim McGovern, elected to the House of Representatives from the state of Massachusetts.
The measure, however, is merely symbolic, since the congressman has no assets in China or business dealings involving it.
The sanctions consist of freezing his assets and property in China, banning any Chinese organisation or person from having business or employment relations with him and denying McGovern and his family permission to enter the country, according to a statement from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On the social network X, McGovern called the sanctions ‘absurd’ and said he would wear them as ‘a badge of honour’.
In his message on the social network, he also wrote: ‘If the [Chinese] leaders don't like it when people speak out against their horrible human rights record, maybe they should improve their horrible human rights record’.
And he specified: ‘They can start by ending the oppression of Tibetans, the genocide in Xinjiang and the repression of democracy in Hong Kong.’
Last year, McGovern was one of the promoters of legislation in both chambers of the US Congress to increase US support for Tibetans.
Tibet is a region of China where human rights groups have criticised Beijing's leaders for their treatment of Tibetans.
Congress approved the proposal in June and President Joe Biden signed it into law in July.
