U.S. blacklists Chinese officials over 'repressive acts' committed against religious minorities

March 22 (UPI) -- The Biden administration has imposed visa restrictions against Chinese officials accused of being involved in "repressive acts" committed against ethnic and religious minority groups and dissidents inside and outside of Beijing's borders.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the visa restrictions against unidentified Chinese officials in a statement on Monday, stating those barred from entering the United States are believed to be complicit in policies or actions aimed at repressing religious and spiritual practitioners, members of ethnic minority groups, dissidents, human rights defenders, journalists, labor and civili society organizers and peaceful protesters.

The move continues with punitive measures the United States has imposed since the Trump administration against China over its human rights abuses.

Beijing's treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority population in northwestern Xinjiang region, its actions to squash dissent in the former British colony of Hong Kong and its stance toward Tibet have attracted condemnation from the United States and its allies.

Most recently, several democratic nations, including the Untied States, diplomatically boycotted the Winter Olympic Games last month specifically over its treatment of its Uighur population.

China has been accused of interning more than 1 million of them in Xinjiang internment camps since 2017, with the United States and other democratic nations stating Beijing's treatment of this Muslim group amounts to genocide -- accusations that Beijing has repeatedly balked at, stating the camps are to stamp out terrorism through re-education.

Blinken said the United States rejects efforts by Chinese officials to "harass, intimidate, surveil and abduct members of ethnic and religious minority groups, including those who seek safety abroad and U.S. citizens who speak out on behalf of these vulnerable populations."

The sanctions were imposed less than a week after New York prosecutors charged five people with working on behalf of China's secret police to stalk, harass and spy on Chinese dissidents in the United States.

In July of last year, the U.S. Justice Department charged a Chinese prosecutor who was behind a sprawling harassment campaign involving at least eight others to try and coerce Chinese residents of New Jersey to return to the Asian nation.

"The United States reaffirms its support of those who bravely speak out despite the threat of retaliation," Blinken said. "We call on [China] to end its ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, repressive polices in Tibet, crackdown on fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong and human rights violations and abuses, including violations of religious freedom, elsewhere in the country."

Hua Chunying, a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, lashed out at Blinken on Tuesday over blacklisting officials amid a search for survivors of a recent plane crash in southwestern China.

"When the Chinese people are pained by the tragedy of passenger flight MU5735, the U.S. Secretary of State is still spreading lies about 'genocide' in China," she tweeted. "How callous!"