China announced on Friday that it would respond to the United States, after Washington imposed sanctions on senior Chinese officials accused of human rights violations against the Muslim Uighur minority in the northwest Cheng region.
"China has decided to take similar measures against American organizations and individuals who have dealt badly with regard to Cheng Yang," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Legian.
This semi-desert region, with a population of about 25 million, has long witnessed attacks attributed by Beijing to the separatists. China has for years ruled its control of the region.
Washington and international human rights organizations say more than a million Muslims, most of them Uighurs, are either being held or have been arrested in Xing Yang.
Beijing denies any violation of Uighur rights or their arrest in the region, and talks about "vocational rehabilitation centers" aimed at keeping the population away from extremism and terrorism.
On Thursday, the United States imposed sanctions on senior Chinese officials, the first move by this level to stop "horrific" human rights violations in Xing Yang.
According to a statement issued by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, three Chinese officials will be denied visas to enter the United States in response to "horrific and systematic violations" in the western region, which includes forced labor, large-scale arrests and forced birth control.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said at a press conference that this US initiative constitutes a major interference in China's internal affairs, flagrantly violates the basic standards of international relations and seriously damages Sino-US relations.
One of those targeted by the sanctions is the Communist Party Secretary in the Xing Yang Qin Quangyu District, who is the architect of Beijing's security policies toward minorities.
China has been relieved that the attacks have stopped since Chen came to power and imposed surveillance everywhere, from identity checks to faces recognition cameras and police barriers.