China said moments after Joe Biden assumed the U.S. presidency that it would sanction 28 senior American officials who served in the Trump administration as part of a testy send-off that included bidding former President Donald Trump “good riddance” via Twitter .
The parting shots from Beijing punctuated a tumultuous turn in bilateral relations under Mr. Trump, who over the past four years moved between friendly overtures toward Chinese leader Xi Jinping and aggressive rhetoric and punitive measures designed to punish China for trade imbalances, alleged technology theft and alleged culpability for the Covid-19 pandemic.
Leading the list of sanctioned officials was former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, followed by trade-policy hawk Peter Navarro and Robert O’Brien, who led Mr. Trump’s national-security team. Former deputies on the list included the East Asia chief at the State Department, David R. Stilwell, and Matthew Pottinger on the National Security Council.
The list also included the former Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, Keith Krach, formerly of the State Department, and the Trump administration’s ambassador to the United Nations, Kelly Craft. Earlier members of Mr. Trump’s team were also named, including John Bolton and Steve Bannon.
The list didn’t include Mr. Trump himself or his family members. Nor did it include his trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, who forged a trade deal with Beijing.