Bipartisan legislation will urge the Trump administration to take a stronger line against Chinese crackdown on minority Muslims
China’s crackdown on minority Muslims could lead to US sanctions against a regional Communist Party chief and other officials accused of human rights abuses.
Lawmakers will introduce legislation on Wednesday urging a stronger response to China’s actions and calling on US President Donald Trump to condemn China’s actions in the Xinjiang region.
The legislation also calls for a new “special coordinator” of US policy on the issue and presses for consideration of a ban on the export of US technology which could be used by Beijing in the surveillance and mass detention of ethnic Uygurs.
The lawmakers want the Trump administration to consider human rights-related sanctions against Xinjiang party secretary Chen Quanguo, who is also a member of the powerful Politburo, and other officials “credibly alleged to be responsible” for the security crackdown, the measure will say.
“Chinese government officials should be held accountable for their complicity in this evil and US businesses should be barred from helping China create a hi-tech police state in Xinjiang,” said Republican US Representative Chris Smith, one of the sponsors of the bipartisan legislation that will be presented in both the Senate and House of Representatives.
The White House and the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the bill, which is also being put forth by Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Democrat Senator Bob Menendez.
