China sanctions former US lawmaker who supported Taiwan

BEIJING (AP) — China on Tuesday sanctioned Mike Gallagher, a former Republican member of Congress from Wisconsin who has shown support for Taiwan.

Gallagher will be banned from entering China, any assets he holds in the country will be frozen and he will be barred from various exchanges with Chinese organizations and individuals, the country’s Foreign Ministry announced.

The sanctions come a day after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Taiwan’s new president, Lai Ching-te, on his inauguration Monday.

China claims the self-ruled island of Taiwan as its own territory, to be annexed by force if necessary, and bristles at other countries’ exchanges with Taipei.