EU member states summon Chinese envoys over sanctions spat

Belgium, Denmark, France and Germany call in Chinese ambassadors to voice anger over punitive measures rolled out by Beijing.

Several European countries including France and Germany have summoned Chinese envoys, intensifying a diplomatic dispute sparked by Western powers’ decision to impose sanctions on Beijing over its alleged human rights violations against Uighurs. The moves on Tuesday came after China sanctioned a number of European officials in what was a retaliatory move for the punitive measures rolled out on it the previous day by the European Union, United States, United Kingdom and Canada. China’s sanctions targeted several European nationals – five of whom are members of the European Parliament – and four institutions that it said had damaged the country’s interests and “maliciously spread lies and disinformation”.