(Bloomberg) --

China announced sanctions against U.S. officials including Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz over legislation intended to punish Beijing over actions against ethnic minorities in the western region of Xinjiang.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said “sanctions” against the four officials would begin Monday, without elaborating. Hua listed Rubio and Cruz -- both Republicans and high-profile critics of China -- as targets of the unspecified measures, in addition to Sam Brownback, Representative Chris Smith and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

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