December 10, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (People’s Republic of China) Regulations against 8 former or current senior officials involved in grave human rights violations in the country.

The sanctions announced today respond to Chinese government-led repression of ethnic and religious minorities in China, including in Xinjiang, Tibet and against those who practise Falun Gong.

As we mark International Human Rights Day on December 10, Canada continues to condemn human rights violations around the world. Canada is deeply concerned over reports that China has arbitrarily detained more than one million people in Xinjiang since 2017, many of whom were held in camps and faced psychological, physical and sexual violence.

Tibetans have also endured human rights violations at the hands of the Chinese government. This includes forced labour, arbitrary detention and restrictions on their rights to freedom of religion or belief, expression, movement and association.

Since 1999, China has tried to eliminate Falun Gong practise in the country through arbitrary arrests, forced labour and torture.

Canada continues to raise concerns regarding human rights violations in China and calls on the Chinese government to uphold its international human rights obligations, including through the United Nations Human Rights Council.