China sanctions US senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz in row over Uighur Muslims

China announced "corresponding sanctions" against the United States on Monday, after Washington penalised senior Chinese officials over the treatment of minority Uighur Muslims in the western region of Xinjiang.

China's move came as relations between the world's two biggest economic powerhouses slumped over disagreements on issues including the coronavirus pandemic, trade, Huawei, and a sweeping national security law imposed on Hong Kong.

The sanctions targeted US senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, US Representative Chris Smith, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, and the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

Mr Rubio and Mr Cruz have both sponsored legislation that would punish China's actions in Xinjiang. Mr Smith has also been a vocal critic of China on issues ranging from Xinjiang to Hong Kong and the coronavirus.

All three are members of the Republican Party.

The Congressional-Executive Commission on China monitors human rights and the development of the rule of law and submits an annual report to Mr Trump and Congress.

"The US actions seriously interfere in China's internal affairs, seriously violate the basic norms of international relations and seriously damage Sino-US relations," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.

"China will make further responses based on how the situation develops."

She did not elaborate.

UN experts and activists said at least a million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims are held in detention centres in Xinjiang.

China describes the facilities as training centres helping to stamp out terrorism and extremism and give people new skills.

Washington announced its measures against Chinese officials including the Communist Party secretary of Xinjiang, Chen Quanguo, on Thursday. The sanctions were imposed under the Global Magnitsky Act, which allows the US government to target human rights violators worldwide by freezing any assets in the US, prohibiting Americans from doing business with them, and banning them and their immediate family from travelling to the US.

Mr Rubio described the move as "long overdue" and said that more steps were needed.

"For far too long, Chinese officials have not been held accountable for committing atrocities that likely constitute crimes against humanity," he said.

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What is THAAD?

It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.

Production:

It was created in 2008.

Speed:

THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.

Abilities:

THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".

Purpose:

To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.

Range:

THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.

Creators:

Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.

UAE and THAAD:

In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.

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How much of your income do you need to save?

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