(CNN)The US announced sanctions Monday against two Chinese officials for "serious human rights abuses" against Uyghur Muslims, a step coordinated with the European Union, Canada and the United Kingdom, which imposed sanctions on the same individuals and others, the Treasury Department said.
"Chinese authorities will continue to face consequences as long as atrocities occur in Xinjiang," said the Treasury Department's Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control Andrea M. Gacki. "Treasury is committed to promoting accountability for the Chinese government's human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention and torture, against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities."
The US designated Wang Junzheng, the Secretary of the Party Committee of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and Chen Mingguo, Director of the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau. "These individuals are designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption," the Treasury Department said.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the Chinese campaign against Uyghurs as genocide.
"Amid growing international condemnation, the PRC continues to commit genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang," Blinken said in a statement, using the acronym for the People's Republic of China. "The United States reiterates its calls on the PRC to bring an end to the repression of Uyghurs, who are predominantly Muslim, and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang, including by releasing all those arbitrarily held in internment camps and detention facilities."
The coordinated sanctions announcement comes days after a heated clash between Blinken, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and senior Chinese officials prompted by US objections to Beijing's human rights abuses, its territorial aggression and coercive economic practices.
'Solidarity'
Blinken emphasized last week that the US was also expressing the concerns of allies, and indicated that going forward, Washington would act in concert with them as well, an approach that US officials say is more effective than targeting China one-on-one.
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