US Passes Import Ban on Chinese Uyghur Region To Step Up Pressure on China Over Human Rights Violations

The US Congress has enacted legislation requiring businesses to demonstrate that commodities imported from China's Xinjiang province were not made using forced labor.

In its suppression of the mostly Muslim Uyghur minority in China, the US has accused China of genocide, an accusation China has been frequently denied. Major corporations that conduct business in the region, such as Coca-Cola, Nike, and Apple, have criticized the measure.

Its passage also overcame the White House's initial opposition. It was adopted by the Senate on Thursday, with the exception of one member, by a vote of every member of Congress.

US slaps sanctions on China over Uyghur oppression

The bill, properly called as the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, is now on its way to President Joe Biden's desk to be put into law. In China's resource-rich western region, the US accuses China of using slavery and genocide, as per BBC.

US and global enterprises, who are already experiencing supply chain challenges, pushed against it, citing concerns about how it will damage their businesses. After earlier drafts of the bill cleared the House and Senate, lawmakers in both houses reached an agreement on the final wording this week.

The bill also lifts a Republican embargo that has blocked Biden's nominee for ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, from receiving Senate confirmation. The US Commerce Department issued penalties on over 30 Chinese technology businesses and research institutions earlier on Thursday, accusing them of assisting the Chinese military.

Without a special license, American corporations are prohibited from selling goods to sanctioned organizations and entities under the new law. The CIA also charged China's Academy of Military Medical Sciences with exploiting biotechnology "to serve Chinese military end uses," such as "alleged brain-control weaponry."

According to a senior administration source, the finance ministry is also working on a plan to penalize a number of Chinese companies. According to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the US secret services discovered China has put up a high-tech monitoring system that employs biometric facial recognition over the western province of Xinjiang.

Beijing has also gathered DNA samples from all people, from kids to the elderly, according to the spy agency. According to the findings, the Xi Jinping-led administration is targeting youngsters under the age of 12.

Action comes after US announced boycott on Beijing Olympics

The move comes after the White House announced a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing, citing China's "egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang." The White House also stated that it supports bipartisan legislation that would prohibit imports of Xinjiang-made goods unless China can prove they were not produced using forced labor.

Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, a Democrat, rejected the bill on Wednesday because he wanted to attach it to renewing the expiring child tax credits, Republic World reported.

After months of the White House refusing to take a public stance on an earlier version of the bill, press secretary Jen Psaki indicated last week that Biden backed it. According to the United States, China is conducting genocide against the Uyghurs.

Per ABC News, this includes widespread claims of forced sterilization and massive detention centers where many Uyghurs are purportedly forced to labor in industries, according to rights groups and journalists. China denies any abuses. It claims that the actions it has taken are vital in the fight against terrorism and a separatist movement.

Raw cotton, gloves, tomato products, silicon and viscose, fishing gear, and a variety of solar energy components are among the commodities alleged to have been created with the use of forced labor, according to the US.

Xinjiang is a resource-rich mining area with a thriving industrial sector and a significant agricultural sector. According to the US, detainees are also transported outside of Xinjiang and placed in firms, including those in the clothing and textiles, electronics, solar energy, and automotive sectors.