China imposes sanctions on Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio as diplomatic spat escalates

China’s foreign ministry said it would impose retaliatory sanctions against 11 American politicians and civil society leaders, including US senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, starting on Monday.

It follows the Trump administration’s move on Friday to impose sanctions on 11 top Hong Kong and Chinese officials whom it accused of curtailing political freedoms in the city.

Mr Cruz and Mr Rubio spearheaded recent legislation designed to prevent goods produced by forced labour being imported by US companies, and mandating that the US government sanctions anyone who “knowingly engages” in forced labour in Xinjiang.

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Republican congressman Chris Smith – who introduced legislation condemning China’s treatment of the Uighurs and accused president Xi Jinping of “presiding over genocide” – joins Republican senators Tom Cotton, Josh Hawley and Pat Toomey on the list of 11 sanctioned officials.

Kenneth Roth, the executive director of New York-based Human Rights Watch, Michael Abramowitz, the head of US think tank Freedom House, and Carl Gershman, the president of National Endowment for Democracy are also on the list.

Shape Created with Sketch. World news in pictures Show all 50 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. World news in pictures 1/50 9 August 2020 Doves fly over the Peace Statue at Nagasaki Peace Park during the memorial ceremony held for the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing EPA 2/50 8 August 2020 Anti-government protesters try to remove concrete wall that installed by security forces to prevent protesters reaching the Parliament square, during a protest against the political elites and the government after this week's deadly explosion in Beirut AP 3/50 7 August 2020 A protester throws a stone towards Israeli forces in the village of Turmus Aya, north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, following a march by Palestinians against the building of Israeli settlements AFP via Getty 4/50 6 August 2020 A woman yells as soldiers block a road for French President Emmanuel Macron's visit the Gemmayzeh neighborhood. The area in Beirut suffered extensive damage from the explosion at the seaport AP 5/50 5 August 2020 Damage at the site of Tuesday's blast in Beirut's port area, Lebanon Reuters 6/50 4 August 2020 A large explosion in the Lebanese capital Beirut. The blast, which rattled entire buildings and broke glass, was felt in several parts of the city AFP via Getty 7/50 3 August 2020 A general view shows the new road bridge in Genoa, Italy ahead of its official inauguration, after it was rebuilt following its collapse on August 14, 2018 which killed 43 people Reuters 8/50 2 August 2020 Empty stall spaces are seen hours before a citywide curfew is introduced in Melbourne, Australia EPA 9/50 1 August 2020 People take part in a demonstration by the initiative "Querdenken-711" with the slogan "the end of the pandemic - the day of freedom" to protest against the current measurements to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Berlin, Germany AFP via Getty 10/50 31 July 2020 Pilgrims circumambulating around the Kaaba, the holiest shrine in the Grand mosque in Mecca. Muslim pilgrims converged today on Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat for the climax of this year's hajj, the smallest in modern times and a sharp contrast to the massive crowds of previous years Saudi Ministry of Media/AFP 11/50 30 July 2020 The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission lifts off at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The mission is part of the USA's largest moon to Mars exploration. Nasa will attempt to establish a sustained human presence on and around the moon by 2028 through their Artemis programme EPA 12/50 29 July 2020 A woman refreshes herself in a outdoor pool in summer temperatures in Ehingen, Germany dpa via AP 13/50 28 July 2020 Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak speaks to the media after he was found guilty in his corruption trial in Kuala Lumpur AFP via Getty 14/50 27 July 2020 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un poses for a photograph after conferring commemorative pistols to leading commanding officers of the armed forces on the 67th anniversary of the "Day of Victory in the Great Fatherland Liberation War". Which marks the signing of the Korean War armistice KCNA via Reuters 15/50 26 July 2020 Federal officers launch tear gas at a group of demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest outside the Portland Courthouse AP 16/50 25 July 2020 Rescue forces in action after an ultralight aircraft crashed into a house in Wesel, Germany EPA 17/50 24 July 2020 Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan (C) and invited guests attending Friday prayers at Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque during the official opening ceremony of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul Turkish Presidential Press Service/AFP/Getty 18/50 23 July 2020 Federal officers arrest a protester after she crossed a fence line set up around the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in Portland, Oregon. State and city elected officials have called for the federal officers to leave Portland as clashes between protesters and federal police continue to escalate Getty 19/50 22 July 2020 Fire burns near the village of Galataki as authorities evacuate the place near Corinth, Greece. More than 250 firefighters, backed by water-dropping aircraft, were struggling Wednesday to contain a large wildfire fanned by strong winds that has forced the evacuation of five settlements in southern Greece AP 20/50 21 July 2020 A Black Lives Matter protester carries an American flag as teargas fills the air outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Oregon AP 21/50 20 July 2020 A trader decorates a camel with Henna at a cattle market set up for the upcoming Muslim festival Eid al-Adha also called "Festival of the Sacrifice", in Rawalpindi AFP via Getty 22/50 19 July 2020 The Milky Way galaxy is seen in the sky above the International Car Forest of the Last Church in Goldfield, Nevada. The roadside attraction, created in 2002 by Mark Rippie, has over 36 automobiles including cars, trucks, vans and buses that have been balanced on their ends or stacked on top one of another AFP via Getty 23/50 18 July 2020 Revellers take part in the annual Gay Pride parade, also called Christopher Street Day in Frankfurt Reuters 24/50 17 July 2020 Airplanes of the Scandinavian Airshow draw a heart in the sky, above the Turning Torso building in Malmo, Sweden TT News Agency/Reuters 25/50 16 July 2020 Farmers protest outside the Indonesian Parliament against the cancellation of an 'omnibus bill' that aims to revise dozens of existing laws to ease the way for investment in Southeast Asia's largest economy in Jakarta Reuters 26/50 15 July 2020 Flooding in Sunamganj. Almost four million people have been hit by monsoon floods in South Asia, with a third of Bangladesh already underwater from some of the heaviest rains in a decade AFP via Getty 27/50 14 July 2020 Second Republican infantry guard regiment take part in the annual Bastille Day military ceremony on the Place de la Concorde in Paris AFP via Getty 28/50 13 July 2020 A man walks his dog through thick sea foam blowing ashore during a storm in Seapoint, Cape Town, South Africa EPA 29/50 12 July 2020 Security forces on the outskirts of Amritsar take part in Van Mahotsav, an annual tree-planting festival in India AFP via Getty 30/50 11 July 2020 People covered with coloured powder enjoy music during the Holi festival in Minsk, Belarus EPA 31/50 10 July 2020 A demonstrator during clashes following the funeral of 29-year-old Palestinian Ibrahim Abou Yacoub, who was killed by Israeli forces, in the village of Kifl Hares, south of the West Bank city of Nablus AFP via Getty 32/50 9 July 2020 The sun rises in Timmendorfer Strand, northern Germany AP 33/50 8 July 2020 Portraits of healthcare workers are pasted on the Opera Bastille, designed by Anne-Christine Poujoulat, to pay tribute to caregivers during the Covid-19 pandemic in Paris Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP/Getty 34/50 7 July 2020 Tengger tribe people make their way to the summit of Mount Bromo volcano to make offerings in Probolinggo, as part of the Yadnya Kasada Festival. The Tenggerese climb the active volcano to seek the blessing from the main deity by presenting offerings of rice, fruit, livestock and other items AFP via Getty 35/50 6 July 2020 A healthcare worker checks the temperature of residents during a check-up campaign in Mumbai, India Reuters 36/50 5 July 2020 People wearing protective face masks to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus sit at a bus stop in the city of Zanjan, Iran AP 37/50 4 July 2020 Protesters blocking an exit to the precinct of the officers who arrested Elijah McClain, cover their ears anticipating the use of flash-bang grenades by police in Aurora, Colorado Reuters 38/50 3 July 2020 A member of the Israeli border police jumps during a Palestinian protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the West Bank, in Kafr Qaddum near Nablus Reuters 39/50 2 July 2020 A surfer jumps clear of his board while enjoying winter waves at New Brighton Beach in Christchurch, New Zealand AP 40/50 1 July 2020 A man is detained by riot police during a demonstration in Hong Kong. China imposed a new national security law which has faced international condemnation Getty 41/50 30 June 2020 A man smokes a pipe while wearing a face mask during a demonstration in Nantes, as part of a nationwide day of protests to demand better working conditions for health workers in France AFP via Getty 42/50 29 June 2020 Lawmakers from Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party scuffle with people from the main opposition Kuomintang party, who have been occupying the Legislature Yuan, in Taipei Reuters 43/50 28 June 2020 Protester holds crosses during a demonstration in honour of the victims of coronavirus in front of Brazil's National Congress Getty 44/50 27 June 2020 A demonstrator wearing a face mask holds a sign during a protest against police brutality and racial inequality in the aftermath of the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, at the Victory column in Berlin Reuters 45/50 26 June 2020 Hygienists inside a decontamination area in a coronavirus treatment centre that cares for positive patients that show little or no symptoms in Dakar AFP via Getty 46/50 25 June 2020 A seagull snatches a croissant from a buffet during a press conference at the headquarters of AP Moeller - Maersk in Copenhagen, Denmark Ritzau Scanpix/AFP/Getty 47/50 24 June 2020 A volunteer receives an injection from a medical worker during the country's first human clinical trial for a potential vaccine against coronavirus, at the Baragwanath hospital in Soweto, South Africa Reuters 48/50 23 June 2020 Swiss acrobat Ramon Kathriner performs during the "Glacier 3000" Air show, an event marking the reopening of the Alpine facilities above Les Diablerets AFP via Getty 49/50 22 June 2020 A worker cleans volcanic ash off the stupas at the Borobudur temple in Indonesia, a day after Mount Merapi erupted in nearby Sleman, sending a plume of ash into the sky AFP via Getty 50/50 21 June 2020 Aerial view of a burial at the Vila Formosa cemetery during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on June 21, 2020. - The novel coronavirus has killed at least 464,423 people worldwide since the outbreak began in China last December, being Brazil Latin America's worsthit country with 49,976 deaths from 1,067,579 cases. AFP via Getty 1/50 9 August 2020 Doves fly over the Peace Statue at Nagasaki Peace Park during the memorial ceremony held for the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing EPA 2/50 8 August 2020 Anti-government protesters try to remove concrete wall that installed by security forces to prevent protesters reaching the Parliament square, during a protest against the political elites and the government after this week's deadly explosion in Beirut AP 3/50 7 August 2020 A protester throws a stone towards Israeli forces in the village of Turmus Aya, north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, following a march by Palestinians against the building of Israeli settlements AFP via Getty 4/50 6 August 2020 A woman yells as soldiers block a road for French President Emmanuel Macron's visit the Gemmayzeh neighborhood. The area in Beirut suffered extensive damage from the explosion at the seaport AP 5/50 5 August 2020 Damage at the site of Tuesday's blast in Beirut's port area, Lebanon Reuters 6/50 4 August 2020 A large explosion in the Lebanese capital Beirut. The blast, which rattled entire buildings and broke glass, was felt in several parts of the city AFP via Getty 7/50 3 August 2020 A general view shows the new road bridge in Genoa, Italy ahead of its official inauguration, after it was rebuilt following its collapse on August 14, 2018 which killed 43 people Reuters 8/50 2 August 2020 Empty stall spaces are seen hours before a citywide curfew is introduced in Melbourne, Australia EPA 9/50 1 August 2020 People take part in a demonstration by the initiative "Querdenken-711" with the slogan "the end of the pandemic - the day of freedom" to protest against the current measurements to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Berlin, Germany AFP via Getty 10/50 31 July 2020 Pilgrims circumambulating around the Kaaba, the holiest shrine in the Grand mosque in Mecca. Muslim pilgrims converged today on Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat for the climax of this year's hajj, the smallest in modern times and a sharp contrast to the massive crowds of previous years Saudi Ministry of Media/AFP 11/50 30 July 2020 The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission lifts off at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The mission is part of the USA's largest moon to Mars exploration. Nasa will attempt to establish a sustained human presence on and around the moon by 2028 through their Artemis programme EPA 12/50 29 July 2020 A woman refreshes herself in a outdoor pool in summer temperatures in Ehingen, Germany dpa via AP 13/50 28 July 2020 Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak speaks to the media after he was found guilty in his corruption trial in Kuala Lumpur AFP via Getty 14/50 27 July 2020 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un poses for a photograph after conferring commemorative pistols to leading commanding officers of the armed forces on the 67th anniversary of the "Day of Victory in the Great Fatherland Liberation War". Which marks the signing of the Korean War armistice KCNA via Reuters 15/50 26 July 2020 Federal officers launch tear gas at a group of demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest outside the Portland Courthouse AP 16/50 25 July 2020 Rescue forces in action after an ultralight aircraft crashed into a house in Wesel, Germany EPA 17/50 24 July 2020 Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan (C) and invited guests attending Friday prayers at Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque during the official opening ceremony of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul Turkish Presidential Press Service/AFP/Getty 18/50 23 July 2020 Federal officers arrest a protester after she crossed a fence line set up around the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in Portland, Oregon. State and city elected officials have called for the federal officers to leave Portland as clashes between protesters and federal police continue to escalate Getty 19/50 22 July 2020 Fire burns near the village of Galataki as authorities evacuate the place near Corinth, Greece. More than 250 firefighters, backed by water-dropping aircraft, were struggling Wednesday to contain a large wildfire fanned by strong winds that has forced the evacuation of five settlements in southern Greece AP 20/50 21 July 2020 A Black Lives Matter protester carries an American flag as teargas fills the air outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Oregon AP 21/50 20 July 2020 A trader decorates a camel with Henna at a cattle market set up for the upcoming Muslim festival Eid al-Adha also called "Festival of the Sacrifice", in Rawalpindi AFP via Getty 22/50 19 July 2020 The Milky Way galaxy is seen in the sky above the International Car Forest of the Last Church in Goldfield, Nevada. The roadside attraction, created in 2002 by Mark Rippie, has over 36 automobiles including cars, trucks, vans and buses that have been balanced on their ends or stacked on top one of another AFP via Getty 23/50 18 July 2020 Revellers take part in the annual Gay Pride parade, also called Christopher Street Day in Frankfurt Reuters 24/50 17 July 2020 Airplanes of the Scandinavian Airshow draw a heart in the sky, above the Turning Torso building in Malmo, Sweden TT News Agency/Reuters 25/50 16 July 2020 Farmers protest outside the Indonesian Parliament against the cancellation of an 'omnibus bill' that aims to revise dozens of existing laws to ease the way for investment in Southeast Asia's largest economy in Jakarta Reuters 26/50 15 July 2020 Flooding in Sunamganj. Almost four million people have been hit by monsoon floods in South Asia, with a third of Bangladesh already underwater from some of the heaviest rains in a decade AFP via Getty 27/50 14 July 2020 Second Republican infantry guard regiment take part in the annual Bastille Day military ceremony on the Place de la Concorde in Paris AFP via Getty 28/50 13 July 2020 A man walks his dog through thick sea foam blowing ashore during a storm in Seapoint, Cape Town, South Africa EPA 29/50 12 July 2020 Security forces on the outskirts of Amritsar take part in Van Mahotsav, an annual tree-planting festival in India AFP via Getty 30/50 11 July 2020 People covered with coloured powder enjoy music during the Holi festival in Minsk, Belarus EPA 31/50 10 July 2020 A demonstrator during clashes following the funeral of 29-year-old Palestinian Ibrahim Abou Yacoub, who was killed by Israeli forces, in the village of Kifl Hares, south of the West Bank city of Nablus AFP via Getty 32/50 9 July 2020 The sun rises in Timmendorfer Strand, northern Germany AP 33/50 8 July 2020 Portraits of healthcare workers are pasted on the Opera Bastille, designed by Anne-Christine Poujoulat, to pay tribute to caregivers during the Covid-19 pandemic in Paris Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP/Getty 34/50 7 July 2020 Tengger tribe people make their way to the summit of Mount Bromo volcano to make offerings in Probolinggo, as part of the Yadnya Kasada Festival. The Tenggerese climb the active volcano to seek the blessing from the main deity by presenting offerings of rice, fruit, livestock and other items AFP via Getty 35/50 6 July 2020 A healthcare worker checks the temperature of residents during a check-up campaign in Mumbai, India Reuters 36/50 5 July 2020 People wearing protective face masks to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus sit at a bus stop in the city of Zanjan, Iran AP 37/50 4 July 2020 Protesters blocking an exit to the precinct of the officers who arrested Elijah McClain, cover their ears anticipating the use of flash-bang grenades by police in Aurora, Colorado Reuters 38/50 3 July 2020 A member of the Israeli border police jumps during a Palestinian protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the West Bank, in Kafr Qaddum near Nablus Reuters 39/50 2 July 2020 A surfer jumps clear of his board while enjoying winter waves at New Brighton Beach in Christchurch, New Zealand AP 40/50 1 July 2020 A man is detained by riot police during a demonstration in Hong Kong. China imposed a new national security law which has faced international condemnation Getty 41/50 30 June 2020 A man smokes a pipe while wearing a face mask during a demonstration in Nantes, as part of a nationwide day of protests to demand better working conditions for health workers in France AFP via Getty 42/50 29 June 2020 Lawmakers from Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party scuffle with people from the main opposition Kuomintang party, who have been occupying the Legislature Yuan, in Taipei Reuters 43/50 28 June 2020 Protester holds crosses during a demonstration in honour of the victims of coronavirus in front of Brazil's National Congress Getty 44/50 27 June 2020 A demonstrator wearing a face mask holds a sign during a protest against police brutality and racial inequality in the aftermath of the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, at the Victory column in Berlin Reuters 45/50 26 June 2020 Hygienists inside a decontamination area in a coronavirus treatment centre that cares for positive patients that show little or no symptoms in Dakar AFP via Getty 46/50 25 June 2020 A seagull snatches a croissant from a buffet during a press conference at the headquarters of AP Moeller - Maersk in Copenhagen, Denmark Ritzau Scanpix/AFP/Getty 47/50 24 June 2020 A volunteer receives an injection from a medical worker during the country's first human clinical trial for a potential vaccine against coronavirus, at the Baragwanath hospital in Soweto, South Africa Reuters 48/50 23 June 2020 Swiss acrobat Ramon Kathriner performs during the "Glacier 3000" Air show, an event marking the reopening of the Alpine facilities above Les Diablerets AFP via Getty 49/50 22 June 2020 A worker cleans volcanic ash off the stupas at the Borobudur temple in Indonesia, a day after Mount Merapi erupted in nearby Sleman, sending a plume of ash into the sky AFP via Getty 50/50 21 June 2020 Aerial view of a burial at the Vila Formosa cemetery during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on June 21, 2020. - The novel coronavirus has killed at least 464,423 people worldwide since the outbreak began in China last December, being Brazil Latin America's worsthit country with 49,976 deaths from 1,067,579 cases. AFP via Getty

China’s foreign ministry has not yet specified what form the sanctions will take. Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the measures came “in response to the US’s wrong behaviours”.

Beijing first stated that sanctions would be imposed on Mr Cruz and Mr Rubio and two other political officials last month, after Washington penalised senior Chinese officials over the treatment of Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang region.

China’s ministry of foreign affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying revealed the retaliatory move on 13 July, without giving any details what the planned sanctions would entail.

The announcement of an expanded list of names comes as Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai was arrested on suspicion of foreign collusion – the most high-profile figure yet detained under a controversial new national security law.

Mr Lai is the founder of the pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily, and has repeatedly criticised authoritarian moves to curb the territory’s autonomy.