Photo: ANP
The US House of Representatives voted on Wednesday (428-1) on a stricter import policy for products originating from China’s Xinjiang region. Companies wishing to ship products from that region to the United States must be able to demonstrate “clear and convincing” evidence of no forced labor in production.
In Xinjiang, Uyghurs are mistreated, oppressed and placed in reeducation camps. “Beijing is orchestrating a brutal and accelerating campaign against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities,” Democratic Representative and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said before the vote.
The Senate has not yet approved the House’s proposal, but it agreed to a similar request previously. US President Joe Biden will eventually have to sign the law, and it is not clear if he supports the plan either.
The vote comes days after the White House announced a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics early next year due to human rights abuses in China. Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom have followed this example.
