June 17, 2021–China’s National People’s Congress passed sweeping legislation last week to retaliate against Western sanctions and those who enact them.
The Anti-foreign Sanctions Law gives China’s authority to blacklist individuals and organizations who create or implement discriminating measures against China or its citizens or interfere with China’s internal affairs, according to a Reuters analysis of the legislation.
If targeted and placed on a blacklist, individuals and organizations could face the following consequences:
- Deportation from China
- Banned from travel to China.
- Chinese assets dissolved or frozen.
- Transaction within China restricted.
Western Sanctions
The new law comes in response to sanctions that the European Union, United States, Canada and Britain issued against Chinese officials last March for human rights abuses in Xinjiang. That same month, China took particular offense at a meeting between U.S. and Chinese diplomats at allegations of human rights abuses.
‘Urgent Necessity’ to Counter ‘Power Politics’
According to a statement released by the NPC, the law’s purpose “is to counter, fight and oppose unilateral sanctions on China” and to protect China’s “national sovereignty, security and development interests.” Li Zhanshu, the chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC, said the law is an urgent necessity “for countering hegemonism and power politics.”
Data Lockdown
Furthermore, alongside the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, China also passed a data security law to restrict external sharing of information and data creation internally.
China Still ‘Open for Business‘
Meanwhile, Chinese officials emphasized that China’s commitment to opening up its economy to the world is firm.
Wang Wenbin, the foreign ministry spokesperson, reported that this new law encourages legal stability within China, “China always welcomes and supports foreign companies to companies to conduct business and cooperation in China and protect their rights and interests in accordance with the law,” Wang said. “China’s door to opening up will only open wider and wider.”
Additional reporting for this story by Patti Mohr
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