Beijing ready to pass 'anti-sanctions' law against the US and the EU
China is going after US and EU measures that followed events in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, adopting a Chinese version of the US Magnitsky Act. Biden will ban 59 Chinese companies from defence and surveillance technology areas. Huawei is a case in point.
Beijing (AsiaNews) - The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) is preparing to pass a law to counter sanctions imposed by other countries on China, state news agency Xinhua reported.
The bill was tabled yesterday and approved in the first reading, with the second reading expected this Thursday, the last day of the first plenary meeting of the 29th session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee.
With an anti-sanctions law, Beijing wants to give legal status to its countermeasures against the punitive actions taken against China by the United States, the European Union and their allies, namely the sanctions imposed by the US, the EU, United Kingdom and Canada against Chinese officials, entities and state bodies implicated in the repression of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.
China has responded with counter-sanctions that have mainly affected MEPs and British politicians.
According to several observers, China plans to adopt its own version of the Magnitsky Act and the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, which allow the US government and EU authorities to impose extra-terrestrial measures against countries or individuals who commit human rights violations.
The final approval of the new legislation by the NPC comes after US President Joe Biden signed an executive order on 3 June launching a new challenge to Beijing.
The order bans US companies and entities from investing in 59 Chinese companies in the defence industry and surveillance technology. It takes effect on 2 August, and follows other bans imposed under both the Biden and Trump administrations.
The most high-profile is the ban against Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications giant, accused by Washington of spying on behalf of the armed forces and intelligence services of its country.
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