The US State Department has announced yet another round of sanctions on Chinese officials said to be involved in “coercive influence activities,” demanding Beijing cease suppressing ‘freedom of expression.’
The department has sanctioned several Chinese officials, accusing them of using coercion and intimidation to “suppress freedom of expression,” according to a statement from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday.
The sanctions include visa restrictions on Chinese officials at the United Front Work Department, which Pompeo has alleged engaged in “malign activities” against those who oppose Beijing.
“The Chinese Communist Party never wanted to behave like a normal regime because at its core, it’s not one,” Pompeo explained in a tweet posted on Friday as he announced the sanctions. He described the party as a “revolutionary relic,” comparing it to Iran and reasoning “That’s why they work together so much.”
“This isn’t about America versus China, it’s about freedom versus tyranny,” the US diplomat continued, reprising a favorite line.
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