US President Donald Trump has signed into law a legislation that condemns the gross human rights violations of Uyghur minority groups in China’s restive Muslim-majority Xinjiang region, paving the way for imposing sanctions against senior Chinese officials.
The Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, 2020 holds accountable the perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses such as the systematic use of indoctrination camps, forced labour and intrusive surveillance to eradicate the ethnic identity and religious beliefs of Uyghurs and other minorities in China, Trump said.
However, a section of the Act purports to limit his discretion to terminate inadmissibility sanctions under the Act, he said on Wednesday.
“In some circumstances, this limitation could be inconsistent with my constitutional authorities…,” Trump said. Reacting to the development, the Chinese foreign ministry in Beijing slammed the law, saying it “maliciously attacks” China’s policy in the Xinjiang region. The bill, which includes sanctions on the senior Chinese officials directly involved in the crackdown on the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, was passed with an overwhelming support from Republicans and Democrats in Congress.