President Joe Biden on Thursday signed a bill intended to punish China over human rights abuses, specifically those against the Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region, The Hill reports.
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act bans the import of goods from the Xinjiang region unless the individuals or companies can provide proof that the materials were not made using forced labor.
The Biden administration previously imposed export restrictions on multiple biotechnology companies based in China that are allegedly involved in the use of biotechnology by China for the military and for human rights abuses.
"The Administration will work closely with Congress to implement this bill to ensure global supply chains are free of forced labor, while simultaneously working to on-shore and third-shore key supply chains, including semiconductors and clean energy," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said last week, in a statement.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., one of the bill's co-sponsors in the Senate, praised the legislation on Thursday as "the most important and impactful action taken thus far by the United States to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for their use of slave labor."
He added, "It will fundamentally change our relationship with Beijing. This law should also ensure that Americans no longer unknowingly buy goods made by slaves in China. I look forward to working with the Biden administration and my colleagues to ensure the new law is implemented correctly and enforced properly."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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