US-China relationship at 'lowest point' in decades as sanctions announced over Uighur concentration camps

The US announced sanctions on Chinese Communist Party officials for human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims as the two countries reached their lowest point since establishing diplomatic ties in 1979.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a speech on Thursday that one of the most important diplomatic relationships in the world is facing "its most serious challenge" in more than 40 years.

His comments came as both the Treasury Department and the State Department announced sanctions and visa restrictions on senior officials involved in the mass imprisonment of ethnic minorities in China's Xinjiang Province.

In imposing sanctions on one Chinese government entity and four officials under the 2016 Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the US would use the "full breadth of its financial powers to hold human rights abusers accountable in Xinjiang and across the world".

Those sanctioned include the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region's party secretary Chen Quanguo and former secretary Zhu Hailun, as well as Xinjiang Public Security Bureau director and party secretary Wang Mingshan and former party secretary Huo Liujun.

Chen, Zhu, and Wang were also targeted by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who imposed sanctions and visa restrictions on the senior officials under the 2019 Immigration and Nationality Act.

The Treasury sanctions target their property while State Department sanctions place visa restrictions on entering the US.

Mr Pompeo said in a statement that the US would not stand idly by as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) carries out human rights abuses including forced labour, arbitrary mass detention, forced population control, and attempts to erase their culture and Muslim faith.

"Before ramping up the CCP's campaign of repression in Xinjiang, Chen oversaw extensive abuses in Tibetan areas, using many of the same horrific practices and policies CCP officials currently employ in Xinjiang," Mr Pompeo said.

"The United States is taking action today against the horrific and systematic abuses in Xinjiang and calls on all nations who share our concerns about the CCP's attacks on human rights and fundamental freedoms to join us in condemning this behaviour."

During public addresses about the current relationship with the US, two of China's top diplomats softened its rhetoric as tensions between the two countries continued to grow.

In his remarks on Thursday at a China-US think tank and media forum, translated to English on the Chinese foreign ministry's website, Mr Wang's comment's suggested Beijing wanted to ease growing tensions between the two countries.

"We are still willing to grow China-US relations with goodwill and sincerity," he said.

"Some friends in the US might have become suspicious or even wary of a growing China. I'd like to stress here again that China never intends to challenge or replace the US, or have full confrontation with the US... what we hope for most is to maintain peace and stability of the world."

Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng, meanwhile, said on Wednesday that China remains ready to work with the US but that there was no room for foreign interference on Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan or Tibet.

"We firmly oppose the groundless US accusations and so-called sanctions against China for our legislation safeguarding national security in Hong Kong," he said.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the sanctions weren't related to a trade deal with China and were taken against human rights abuses.

"Today's announcement is the latest in a series of actions by the Trump administration, so it's not just these sanctions that were put in place," she said.

"There were export controls the president signed, the Uighur Human Rights Policy Act, so we've taken a very strong stance on the side of human rights and against the atrocities we've seen.... some of these atrocities have been forced abortions and sterilising and really despicable things that have been done."

Last month John Bolton, Mr Trump's former national security adviser, claimed the president had told his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, that he did not have a problem with the imprisonment in concentration camps of a million Uighur citizens. The White House has denied the claim.