Xinhua News Agency reported that, on July 7, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) of China was deliberating the “Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law (Draft).”
A spokesperson of the Standing Committee was quoted as saying that “certain Western countries, out of a need for political manipulation and ideological bias, have grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs on issues related to Xinjiang and Hong Kong, and have imposed ‘sanctions’ on China in accordance with their own laws.”
The spokesperson said that, many people proposed that it was necessary for the country to enact a special anti-foreign sanctions law to provide “strong legal support and protection for China to counter discriminatory measures from foreign countries in accordance with the law.”
In addition, the Standing Committee of the NPC also proposed in one report to “enrich the legal ‘toolbox’ to deal with challenges and prevent risks, considering the sanctions and interference.”
In recent years, China and Europe and the United States have been engaged in battles of sanctions against each other over Xinjiang and Hong Kong. Following China’s imposition of the national security law on Hong Kong, the U.S. sanctioned 14 vice chairmen of the National People’s Congress, as well as Hong Kong and the Macau Affairs Office Director Xia Baolong, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, and a couple of senior Hong Kong officials, among others. In retaliation, China sanctioned former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a group of “anti-Beijing” Members of Congress by banning them from entering China, Hong Kong and Macau.
Source: Central News Agency, June 8, 2021
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202106080034.aspx