Washington [US], August 6: China imposed sanctions on US lawmaker Jim McGovern accusing him of frequently interfering in Beijing’s “internal affairs.
McGovern has hit back at China saying that he will wear the sanctions “as a badge of honor.”
The statement by the US lawmakers intended to call on the Chinese government to end its oppressive actions in Tibet, Xinjiang, and Hong Kong.
“These absurd sanctions against me only serve to highlight how People’s Republic China (PRC) leaders are afraid of free and open debate. They seek to punish and silence those who disagree with them. But the world is watching what they do, and people who care about human rights will not be silent,” McGovern stated.
China placed McGovern under sanctions on Wednesday for frequently “interfering in China’s internal affairs”.
Throughout his political career, McGovern has regularly raised the Tibetan cause and has sponsored a bill advocating for a peaceful resolution of the China-Tibet dispute that President Joe Biden signed into law on July 12 this year.
China currently views Tibet as an “inseparable part of China” despite the Tibetan Government in Exile and the Dalai Lama claiming that Tibet has historically been independent.
After the sanctions the representative’s Chinese assets will be frozen, organizations or individuals in China from engaging with him, and ban him and his family from entering Chinese territory, according to a report from Xinhua, the Chinese state news outlet.
However, the report claimed that McGovern, who represents the state of Massachusetts in the House of Representatives, has no assets or business dealings in China.
Reportedly, the Tibet-China Dispute Act by McGovern gives the State Department increased authority to counter Chinese disinformation relating to Tibet. The act also promotes continuation of talks between Chinese leaders and the Dalai Lama however, none of these talks have occurred since 2010 relating to these disputes.
In a statement released on June 12 this year when the bill, McGovern stated, “The PRC has systematically denied Tibetans the right to self-determination and continues to deliberately erase Tibetan religion, culture and language. The ongoing oppression of the Tibetan people is a grave tragedy, and our bill provides further tools that empower both America and the international community to stand up for justice and peace.”
As China currently stands accused of large-scale human rights abuses in Tibet, which the congressman had hoped to alleviate through this act, the VOA report claimed.
Among the signees of the Act were House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, Senator Todd Young, McGovern, and Senator Jeff Merkley.
China on several occasions has imposed sanctions on other US lawmakers that challenge Chinese expansionist policies. Over the last year, China has sanctioned Representative McCaul and former Representative Mike Gallagher over their support for the issues faced by Taiwan because of the PRC.
