WASHINGTON — The United States placed sanctions on top Chinese officials on Monday, as part of a multinational effort to punish Beijing for human rights abuses against the largely Muslim Uighur minority group, which American officials have called a genocide. The penalties — in coordination with the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada — come days after the Biden administration’s heated encounter with Chinese officials in Alaska, and will most likely widen tensions between Washington and Beijing. “Amid growing international condemnation, the P.R.C. continues to commit genocide and crimes against humanity” in its western Xinjiang region, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said in a statement on Monday, referring to the People’s Republic of China. “The United States reiterates its calls on the P.R.C.

Source: International New York Times March 22, 2021 20:26 UTC