China imposes sanctions on 28 US individuals as Trump leaves White House

• The individuals' "crazy actions have gravely interfered in China's internal affairs", says Chinese foreign ministry
• The people are prohibited from entering the mainland of China, Hong Kong and Macao
• The individuals include Michael R Pompeo, Peter K Navarro, Robert C O'Brien, and others

Hours after former president Donald Trump left the White House, China imposed sanctions on 28 US individuals as their "crazy actions [...] have gravely interfered in China's internal affairs".

China's foreign ministry, in a statement on Wednesday, said: "These individuals and their immediate family members are prohibited from entering the mainland of China, Hong Kong and Macao. They and companies and institutions associated with them are also restricted from doing business with China."

"Over the past few years, some anti-China politicians in the United States, out of their selfish political interests [...] against China 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-US relations," the ministry said.

The foreign ministry noted that the Chinese government was "firmly resolved" to defend China's national sovereignty, security and development interests.

Read more: Joe Biden sworn in as 46th US president, takes helm of deeply divided nation

The individuals 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, the statement said.

The announcement came parallel to Joe Biden assuming office as the 46th president of the United States.

Biden has assumed the helm of a country reeling from deep political divides, a battered economy and a raging coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 400,000 Americans.