Canada joins allies for sanctions against China

Canada is levelling sanctions against Chinese officials over human-rights violations against minority Muslims in that country.

Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau says in taking the dramatic step, Canada is joining its partners in calling on China to put an end to a systematic campaign of repression.

In coordination with allies, Canada announced new sanctions against 4 officials and 1 entity based on participation in gross and systematic human rights violations in the Xinjiang Region.

News release: pic.twitter.com/4ChtDTasLO

— Marc Garneau (@MarcGarneau) March 22, 2021

The move is being taken in concert with the United Kingdom, the U.S. and the European Union.

The federal government says mounting evidence points to state-led abuses by Chinese authorities against more than one million Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities on the basis of their religion and ethnicity.

The sanctions come after weeks of pressure in Canada for the government to take stronger action in response to the alleged atrocities in China, which that regime denies are taking place.

The House of Commons voted last month to declare those atrocities a genocide, though the prime minister and all but one of his cabinet did not take part in the vote.