# U.S. legislation to urge possible China sanctions over Xinjiang crackdown



## dr_shadow (Nov 13, 2018)

*U.S. lawmakers will introduce legislation on Wednesday urging a stronger response by the Trump administration to China’s crackdown on minority Muslims, including possible sanctions against a regional Communist Party chief and other officials accused of human rights abuses.*

The legislation will also ask President Donald Trump to condemn China’s actions in the Xinjiang region, call for a new “special coordinator” of U.S. policy on the issue and press for consideration of a ban on export of U.S. technology that Beijing could use in surveillance and mass detention of ethnic Uighurs, according to a copy of the measure seen by Reuters.

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 U.S. businesses should be barred from helping China create a high-tech police state in Xinjiang," said Republican U.S. 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 Democratic Senator Bob Menendez.

Trump’s senior aides recently have become more vocal in their criticism of China’s treatment of its minority Muslims in Xinjiang, which has sparked an international outcry. Any sanctions, however, would be a rare move on human rights grounds by the Trump administration against China, with which it is engaged in a bitter trade war.

Beijing has dismissed accusations of abuses in Xinjiang, urging the United States and other countries to stay out of its internal affairs.

China’s top diplomat said earlier on Tuesday that the world should ignore "gossip" about developments in Xinjiang and trust authorities there, when asked if Beijing would allow international observers to inspect camps holding Muslims there.

Western countries including Canada, France, Germany, and the United States have urged China to shut down camps in Xinjiang, where activists say as many as 1 million members of the Uighur minority and other Muslims are being detained. Far western Xinjiang faces a threat from Islamist militants and separatists, China has said in the past.

Rubio said in a statement that some Chinese officials were responsible for "possible crimes against humanity."

The Trump administration for several months has been weighing sanctions against Chinese officials and companies operating in Xinjiang, U.S. officials have said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The new bill calls for consideration of measures under the Global Magnitsky Act, which hits rights violators with freezes on U.S. assets, U.S. travel bans, and prohibitions on Americans doing business with them, and also under a federal law to target those involved in religious repression around the world.

It will urge the administration to report back to Congress on Chinese companies involved in the camps and ask the FBI to take action against any Chinese government efforts to intimidate Uighurs living in the United States.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-c...nctions-over-xinjiang-crackdown-idUSKCN1NI2VW


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## wibisana (Nov 13, 2018)

Welcome another economic depression


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## dr_shadow (Nov 13, 2018)

Kind of interesting that the U.S. generally doesn't play the human rights card against China.

When there's criticism it's usually economics-related.


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## makeoutparadise (Nov 14, 2018)

Its treason then.....


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## quicksilver (Nov 14, 2018)

mr_shadow said:


> Kind of interesting that the U.S. generally doesn't play the human rights card against China.
> 
> When there's criticism it's usually economics-related.



It's kind of like the South China Sea thing. How seriously can China take the U.S. for going against the ICJ's judgment for the Philippines regarding UNCLOS, when the U.S. won't even ratify UNCLOS?


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## Eros (Nov 14, 2018)

I see why they're mad. It's because China is spreading atheism.


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## Amol (Nov 14, 2018)

Well it always makes me happy to see terrorist party known as PCC being hold responsible for all the atrocities it committed. 
Though it is amusing to see Trump administration pretending to care about Muslims.


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## wibisana (Nov 14, 2018)

Amol said:


> Well it always makes me happy to see terrorist party known as PCC being hold responsible for all the atrocities it committed.
> Though it is amusing to see Trump administration pretending to care about Muslims.


Like someone should ask him
Would you give them refuge?


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## dr_shadow (Nov 15, 2018)

*A group of 15 Western ambassadors in Beijing, spearheaded by Canada, are seeking a meeting with the top official in China's restive, heavily Muslim Xinjiang region for an explanation of alleged rights abuses against ethnic Uighurs.*

The envoys are making their request in a letter to Chen Quanguo, Xinjiang's Communist Party boss, according to a copy of a draft letter seen by Reuters.

The move represents unusually broad, coordinated action by a group of countries over a human rights issue in China, and illustrates the mounting backlash Beijing is facing over its crackdown in the western region.

Beijing has faced an outcry from activists, academics, foreign governments and U.N. rights experts over mass detentions and strict surveillance of the mostly Muslim Uighur minority and other Muslim groups who call Xinjiang home.

In August, a United Nations human rights panel said it had received many credible reports that a million or more Uighurs in China are being held in what resembles a "massive internment camp that is shrouded in secrecy".

China says it is not enforcing arbitrary detention and political re-education, but rather some citizens guilty of minor offences were being sent to vocational centers to provide employment opportunities.

Beijing bristles at criticism of its human rights situation, espousing a policy of non-interference in the affairs of other countries. China's top diplomat said on Tuesday the world should ignore "gossip" about Xinjiang and trust authorities there.

It was not clear if the letter had been sent yet or if it contents could be revised. One diplomatic source said it was being passed around for more countries to potentially sign.

Several other diplomats familiar with the letter would only confirm its existence and refused to discuss it further, citing its sensitivity. All of the diplomats declined to be identified.

Many foreign governments have refrained from speaking out over the Xinjiang situation, with diplomats saying countries are fearful of angering China, an increasingly weighty diplomatic player thanks to its economic heft and initiatives such as the Belt and Road infrastructure program.

*'WE ARE DEEPLY TROUBLED'*

In the draft letter addressed directly to Chen, who outranks the region's ethnic Uighur governor Shohrat Zakir, the ambassadors said they were highly concerned by the U.N. findings on Xinjiang.

"We are deeply troubled by reports of the treatment of ethnic minorities, in particular individuals of Uyghur ethnicity, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region," the draft reads, using an alternate spelling for Uighur.

"In order to better understand the situation, we request a meeting with you at your earliest convenience to discuss these concerns."

The letter is copied to China's Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Public Security and the Communist Party's international department.

It is not possible to directly contact any senior Chinese leader for comment. The Xinjiang government, ministries of foreign and public security, the party's international department and party's spokesman's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

China has said Xinjiang faces a serious threat from Islamist militants and separatists who plot attacks and stir up tensions with the ethnic Han Chinese majority.

The letter carries the names of 15 Western ambassadors, including the Canadian, British, French, Swiss, European Union, German, Dutch and Australian envoys. The other countries' ambassadors names in the letter are Ireland, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, Estonia, Finland and Denmark.

Four diplomats familiar with the letter and its contents said Canada had taken the lead in its drafting.

Canada's Foreign Ministry, in a statement sent to Reuters, did not comment directly on the letter but expressed deep concern over the reports of detention and mass surveillance of Uighurs and other Muslims in Xinjiang.

"The Minister of Foreign Affairs raised the situation faced by the Uyghurs directly with China's Foreign Minister at the UN General Assembly. Canada regularly raises concerns about Xinjiang with Chinese authorities both publicly and privately, bilaterally and multilaterally, and will continue to do so."

The EU, British, German, Swedish, Swiss, Belgian, Dutch, Finnish and Norwegian embassies declined to comment on the letter.

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the government was concerned about the situation in Xinjiang and officials had conveyed these concerns to China on a number of occasions.

The Irish, Danish, French and Estonian embassies did not respond to requests for comment.

The United States is not represented on the letter, although non-U.S. diplomats say the country has been deeply involved in advocacy on the Xinjiang issue.

"We remain alarmed that since April 2017 the Chinese government has detained an estimated 800,000 to possibly more than 2 million Uighurs, Kazaks and other Muslims in internment camps for political re-education," a U.S. embassy spokesman said, responding to a question regarding the letter.

"The United States will continue to call on China to end these counterproductive policies and free all those arbitrarily detained. We are committed to promoting accountability for those who commit human rights violations and abuses, including by considering targeted measures against Xinjiang officials."

The United States has said it is considering sanctions against Chen, other officials and Chinese companies linked to allegations of rights abuses in Xinjiang.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-c...ek-meeting-on-xinjiang-concerns-idUSKCN1NK0H0


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## dr_shadow (Nov 15, 2018)

> The letter carries the names of 15 Western ambassadors, including the Canadian, British, French, Swiss, European Union, German, Dutch and Australian envoys. The other countries' ambassadors names in the letter are Ireland, *Sweden*, Belgium, Norway, Estonia, Finland and Denmark.



Good bye visa.


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## Mider T (Nov 15, 2018)

This isn't worth China dying on a hill for, but alas "face".


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## Saishin (Nov 15, 2018)

What about human rights violations committed by the US?


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## Saishin (Nov 15, 2018)

mr_shadow said:


> Good bye visa.


Why Sweden has to play always the role of the champion of justice?


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## dr_shadow (Nov 15, 2018)

Saishin said:


> Why Sweden has to play always the role of the champion of justice?



Because Italy isn't. 

Otherwise we could have taken turns.


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## Saishin (Nov 15, 2018)

mr_shadow said:


> Because Italy isn't.
> 
> Otherwise we could have taken turns.


While the western countries signed a letter against China in Italy relations with China ..........


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## Raiden (Nov 15, 2018)

I'm really surprised that this is now a policy concern. I remember reading about the problem last year while I was in Malaysia.

I guess the Trump Administration sees an opportunity for human rights as political leverage.


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## dr_shadow (Nov 15, 2018)

Raiden said:


> I'm really surprised that this is now a policy concern. I remember reading about the problem last year while I was in Malaysia.
> 
> I guess the Trump Administration sees an opportunity for human rights as political leverage.



Trump only cares about "Huge Man Rights."


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## Raiden (Nov 15, 2018)

mr_shadow said:


> Trump only cares about "Huge Man Rights."



 .

I met someone in DC who is very close to some of the older US Senators. Apparently Trump ignores binders of briefings and has to be briefed in the morning with information presented as news (as if analysts are anchors). That's the only way they get him to pay attention.


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## wibisana (Nov 15, 2018)

mr_shadow said:


> Trump only cares about "Huge Man Rights."


Yuuge


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## Undertaker (Nov 15, 2018)

Tariffs don't work as efficient as they thought, so they use other pretext.


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