China on U.S. Inauguration Day announces move to sanction Pompeo, Bolton, Bannon and others

China announced on Wednesday that it is sanctioning 28 individuals, among them, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. 

The announcement, which came on the day the U.S. presidency transferred from Donald Trump to Joe Biden, also named former National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien, former Director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Peter Navarro and others. John Bolton, who at one point served as national security adviser, and Stephen Bannon, who had previously served as White House chief strategist, were also named in the statement which was released shortly after Joe Biden had been inaugurated as America's 46th president. Several other individuals were also named as sanction targets in the statement from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Over the past few years, some anti-China politicians in the United States, out of their selfish political interests and prejudice and hatred against China and showing no regard for the interests of the Chinese and American people, have planned, promoted and executed a series of crazy moves which have gravely interfered in China's internal affairs, undermined China's interests, offended the Chinese people, and seriously disrupted China-U.S. relations. The Chinese government is firmly resolved to defend China's national sovereignty, security and development interests," the statement declared.

"China has decided to sanction 28 persons who have seriously violated China's sovereignty and who have been mainly responsible for such U.S. moves on China-related issues. They include Michael R. Pompeo, Peter K. Navarro, Robert C. O'Brien, David R. Stilwell, Matthew Pottinger, Alex M. Azar II, Keith J. Krach, and Kelly D. K. Craft of the Trump administration as well as John R. Bolton and Stephen K. Bannon. These individuals and their immediate family members are prohibited from entering the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao of China. They and companies and institutions associated with them are also restricted from doing business with China," the statement noted.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has sanctioned Donald Trump, Mike Pompeo and a number of other Americans, according to the state-run Fars News Agency. 

"The Iranian Foreign Ministry added a number of American individuals to its sanctions list for committing terrorist crimes, promoting and supporting terrorism, which is a serious threat to regional and international peace and security, and for violating basic rules and fundamental principles of international law, including human rights," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh said, according to Fars.