Geopolitics
Governance/Geopolitics
US: Lawmakers passes bill to force companies to disclose Xinjiang-sourced materials

Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 02 Oct 2020, 12:01 pm Print

US: Lawmakers passes bill to force companies to disclose Xinjiang-sourced materials

Washington: Lawmakers in  Lower House of the United States Congress on Wednesday passed legislation which will now require publicly listed companies in the US to disclose commercial links to China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Uygur Region, media reports said.

The legislation was passed amid growing concerns about the use of forced labour in China's Xinjiang region.

In contrast to numerous recent China bills that have drawn near unanimous support, the bill passed through the Democratic-controlled chamber along largely party lines.

After failed attempts by Republicans to drastically amend the bill, the Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act passed by a vote of 253 to 163, with 26 Republicans breaking ranks to support it, reported South China Morning Post.

US will take steps to block some exports from China's Xinjiang region, over the country's alleged human rights abuses directed mostly against the Muslim Uighur minority of the region, media reports said last month.

Reports say that Beijing has detained more than one million people from Xinjiang in recent years, citing security risks. Thousands of children have been separated from their parents and women have been forcibly subjected to methods of birth control.

China maintains that the people interned at these sites are given job training and education which it is necessary to keep them away from terrorism and counter the secessionist forces in the region.