Thread by @fbermingham

Breaking: Brussels' first sanctions on China since Tiananmen Square crackdown of 1989 slapped into place

scmp.com/news/china/dip…

Four officials targeted are Zhu Hailun, ex-Sec of Xinjiang Political & Legal Affairs Committee, Wang Junzhung, Party Sec of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Wang Mingshan, member of XUAR Standing Committee, Chen Mingguo, Director, Xinjiang Public Security Bureau

Notable by absence is Chen Quanguo, the CCP chief in Xinjiang who is seen as the mastermind of the network of internment camps, and who is a member of the Politburo standing committee.

In Dec 19, he became the most senior Chinese official sanctioned by the United States

One entity named: Xinjiang Production &
Construction Corps Public Security Bureau

XPCC is the giant paramilitary organisation that runs parts of Xinjiang. PSB is its security arm

By stopping short of sanctioning XPCC outright, it will not mean total upending of the supply chain

Speculation already turns to who China might sanction in retaliation. An article in the Global Times named @bueti, the Chair of the European Parliament Delegation to China as a potential target.

You can see from his response, he is worried

https://twitter.com/bueti/status/1373964204328288260

Will going after prominent Brussels parliamentarians affect the chances of passing the EU-China investment deal? Surely a consideration for Beijing...

Of those sanctioned by the EU, Zhu Hailun and Wang Mingshan have already been sanctioned by the US.

Wang subsequently got promoted and said he was "honoured" to have been hit with sanctions...

scmp.com/news/china/pol…