LONDON: On Friday, Britain stated that China was targeting critics with sanctions, calling on Beijing to allow international access to Xinjiang to verify the alleged human rights abuses in the province.

China has been accused by the larger international community of committing human rights abuses and forcibly detaining members of the Muslim Uighur community in "re-education camps" in the province of Xinjiang.

“It speaks volumes that, while the UK joins the international community in sanctioning those responsible for human rights abuses, the Chinese government sanctions its critics,” Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement.

“If Beijing want to credibly rebut claims of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, it should allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights full access to verify the truth.”