BEIJING, December 11. /TASS/. The Chinese authorities will take retaliatory measures in connection with the latest US sanctions against Chinese companies because of alleged human rights violations in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning has said.

"The US side has once again fabricated and spread false information, using a so-called human rights issue in Xinjiang as a pretext for imposing illegal sanctions against Chinese enterprises and individuals," Mao told a news briefing. China will take resolute retaliatory measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of its citizens and enterprises."

Mao pointed out that the US "should stop slandering China," lift unilateral sanctions, and stop promoting bills concerning alleged "Uyghur forced labor." She emphasized that by doing so, Washington was seriously infringing on China's interests, interfering in its internal affairs and violating diplomatic norms.

"China categorically condemns this. We strongly oppose it," Mao stressed. The United States is not in a position to "point fingers at the human rights situation in Xinjiang," she stated. "So-called genocide and forced labor in the XUAR is a bald-faced lie, drummed up to contain and suppress China. It has long been debunked by genuine facts," the Chinese diplomat noted.

Mao explained that in this way the US was trying to impede China's development and has "fully manifested its evil intentions." She advised the US authorities to address their own country's internal problems - racial discrimination, violence and drug trafficking.

Earlier, the US Department of Homeland Security reported that the United States administration had imposed a ban on the import of products from three more companies from China under the pretext of protecting human rights in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The blacklist includes state-owned sugar producer COFCO Sugar Holdings Co., electronics supplier Sichuan Jingweida Technology Group and copper products manufacturer Anhui Xinya New Materials Co. Their goods have been banned from entering the United States starting December 11, 2023.

On December 23, 2021, US President Joe Biden signed legislation to impose restrictions on the import of goods from Xinjiang, as well as sanctions on individuals and entities allegedly responsible for the use of "forced labor" in that region of China. On June 21, 2022, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that United States Customs and Border Protection had begun enforcing these measures.