Beijing, China – China imposed sanctions on several officials belonging to the administration of former US president Donald Trump, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

Those affected by the sanctions include former secretary of state Mike Pompeo and former national security adviser John Bolton, both of whom will no longer be permitted to enter China.

They were also banned from doing business with Chinese companies.

Beijing's sanctions affect 28 US citizens.

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According to a ministry statement, the sanctions were imposed after Pompeo and the others "interfered in China's internal affairs, undermined China's interests, offended the Chinese people, and seriously disrupted China-U.S. relations."

The statement described those affected as "anti-China politicians" driven by "selfish political interests and prejudice and hatred."

The move came shortly after Donald Trump and his administration left office and a day after Pompeo formally declared that the Chinese government's actions against Uighurs and other Muslim minorities constitute a "genocide" and "crimes against humanity."

Pompeo's announcement looked set to strain tensions between Washington and Beijing, which has denied any mistreatment of the Uighurs despite extensive documentation and testimony of internment camps and forced sterilization of the largely Muslim ethnic minority.

Tensions between the US and China have steadily risen during the Trump administration, with Washington already imposing a raft of sanctions on Beijing over issues related to Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Before entering the White House, the administration of President Joe Biden had signalled a tough stance on China, however it remained unclear how Pompeo's announcement will effect Biden's China policy.