As of yesterday, imports from China's Xinjiang region were prohibited in the United States under new laws. Firms will have to certify that goods from the region are not made using forced labour under the laws. Members of the region's minority Uyghur group, who are primarily Muslim, have been arrested and forced to work, according to US authorities. China has often denied allegations that it holds Uyghurs in Xinjiang internment camps.

Several products from the resource-rich region have previously been prohibited in the United States, including cotton and tomatoes. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), which is set to take effect today, will extend the restrictions to all imports.

According to the US Congress, since April 2017, China has jailed over a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang. 
 
Watch | New leaked reports on Uighurs Muslims in China shocks the world

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/new-leaked-reports-on-uighurs-muslims-in-china-shocks-the-world-482088/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

It claims that tens of thousands of inmates have worked in Xinjiang and other regions "under the cover of poverty alleviation and industrial aid programmes" for "a fraction of the minimum wage or without any remuneration."

According to the report, China also "interferes with audits and traditional due diligence efforts in Xinjiang to vet commodities and supply chains, including by intimidating possible witnesses and concealing crucial information."

China has denied using forced labour, claiming that the Xinjiang camps are "re-education" centres designed to combat terrorism. 
&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

As of yesterday, imports from China's Xinjiang region were prohibited in the United States under new laws. Firms will have to certify that goods from the region are not made using forced labour under the laws.

As of yesterday, imports from China's Xinjiang region were prohibited in the United States under new laws. Firms will have to certify that goods from the region are not made using forced labour under the laws. Members of the region's minority Uyghur group, who are primarily Muslim, have been arrested and forced to work, according to US authorities. China has often denied allegations that it holds Uyghurs in Xinjiang internment camps. Several products from the resource-rich region have previously been prohibited in the United States, including cotton and tomatoes. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), which is set to take effect today, will extend the restrictions to all imports. According to the US Congress, since April 2017, China has jailed over a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang. Watch | New leaked reports on Uighurs Muslims in China shocks the world It claims that tens of thousands of inmates have worked in Xinjiang and other regions "under the cover of poverty alleviation and industrial aid programmes" for "a fraction of the minimum wage or without any remuneration." According to the report, China also "interferes with audits and traditional due diligence efforts in Xinjiang to vet commodities and supply chains, including by intimidating possible witnesses and concealing crucial information." China has denied using forced labour, claiming that the Xinjiang camps are "re-education" centres designed to combat terrorism. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Uyghur genocide: US prohibits imports from China's Xinjiang region

As United Nations' Human Rights chief Michelle Bachelet visits China, Uyghurs have urged her to avoid falling victim to a public relations stunt and ask hard questions in Xinjiang.

Bachelet's six-day trip has entered a delicate new phase with visits to the cities of Urumqi and Kashgar in the remote region of Xinjiang on Tuesday (May 24) and Wednesday (May 25).

The outskirts of both the cities are dotted with what are believed to be detention camps, part of a large network of freshly constructed facilities that stretches across the remote province.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Xi Jinping ordered the Genocide against Uighurs

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-xi-jinping-ordered-the-genocide-against-uighurs-433079/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Urumqi, the regional capital with a population of 4 million, has a sizable Uyghur population. It also houses key government agencies accused of orchestrating China's province-wide crackdown.

Meanwhile, Kashgar, an Uyghur heartland city with a population of 700,000, is an ancient Silk Road hub that has also been heavily targeted by Beijing's campaign.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/leaked-database-shows-thousands-of-uyghurs-held-in-detention-by-china-479843">Leaked database shows thousands of Uyghurs held in detention by China</a>

China's ruling communist party has long been accused of detaining over one million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities as part of a years-long security crackdown. The United States has labelled this a "genocide".

However, China has vehemently denied the allegations and called the allegations "the lie of the century".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-rights-chief-to-visit-china-from-monday-including-xinjiang-480734">UN rights chief to visit China from Monday, including Xinjiang</a>

Campaigners fear that Chinese authorities would prevent Bachelet from conducting a comprehensive investigation into alleged human rights violations, instead giving her a stage-managed tour with limited access.

The US has expressed deep concern that she had not secured guarantees on what she will witness, saying she is unlikely to get an "unbiased" assessment of China's human rights situation.

(With inputs from agencies)

Watch WION LIVE HERE:

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

As United Nations' Human Rights chief Michelle Bachelet visits China, Uyghurs have urged her to avoid falling victim to a public relations stunt and ask hard questions in Xinjiang.

As United Nations' Human Rights chief Michelle Bachelet visits China, Uyghurs have urged her to avoid falling victim to a public relations stunt and ask hard questions in Xinjiang. Bachelet's six-day trip has entered a delicate new phase with visits to the cities of Urumqi and Kashgar in the remote region of Xinjiang on Tuesday (May 24) and Wednesday (May 25). The outskirts of both the cities are dotted with what are believed to be detention camps, part of a large network of freshly constructed facilities that stretches across the remote province. Watch | Gravitas: Xi Jinping ordered the Genocide against Uighurs Urumqi, the regional capital with a population of 4 million, has a sizable Uyghur population. It also houses key government agencies accused of orchestrating China's province-wide crackdown. Meanwhile, Kashgar, an Uyghur heartland city with a population of 700,000, is an ancient Silk Road hub that has also been heavily targeted by Beijing's campaign. Also read | Leaked database shows thousands of Uyghurs held in detention by China China's ruling communist party has long been accused of detaining over one million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities as part of a years-long security crackdown. The United States has labelled this a "genocide". However, China has vehemently denied the allegations and called the allegations "the lie of the century". Also read | UN rights chief to visit China from Monday, including Xinjiang Campaigners fear that Chinese authorities would prevent Bachelet from conducting a comprehensive investigation into alleged human rights violations, instead giving her a stage-managed tour with limited access. The US has expressed deep concern that she had not secured guarantees on what she will witness, saying she is unlikely to get an "unbiased" assessment of China's human rights situation. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION LIVE HERE: You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Uyghurs urge UN rights chief to ask hard questions in Xinjiang and not be misled by 'PR stunts'

A far-reaching bill aimed at barring products made with forced labour in China became law after President Joe Biden signed the bill Thursday.

But the next four months — during which the Biden administration will convene hearings to investigate how pervasive forced labour is and what to do about it — will be crucial in determining how far the legislation goes in altering the behaviour of companies that source products from China.

While it is against U.S. law to knowingly import goods made with slave labour, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act shifts the burden of proof to companies from customs officials. Firms will have to proactively prove that their factories, and those of all their suppliers, do not use slavery or coercion.

The law, which passed the House and Senate nearly unanimously, is Washington’s first comprehensive effort to police supply chains that the United States says exploit persecuted minorities, and its impact could be sweeping. A wide range of products and raw materials — such as petroleum, cotton, minerals and sugar — flow from the Xinjiang region of China, where accusations of forced labour proliferate. Those materials are often used in Chinese factories that manufacture products for global companies.

“I anticipate that there will be many companies — even entire industries — that will be taken by surprise when they realize that their supply chains can also be traced back to the Uyghur region,” said Laura Murphy, a professor of human rights and contemporary slavery at Sheffield Hallam University in Britain.

If the law is enforced as written, it could force many companies to rework how they do business or risk having products blocked at the U.S. border. Those high stakes are expected to set off a crush of lobbying by companies trying to ease the burden on their industries as the government writes the guidelines that importers must follow.

“Genuine, effective enforcement will most likely mean there will be pushback by corporations and an attempt to create loopholes,” said Cathy Feingold, the international director of the AFL-CIO. “So the implementation will be key.”

Behind-the-scenes negotiations before the bill’s passage provided an early indication of how consequential the legislation could be for some of America’s biggest companies, as business groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and brand names like Nike and Coca-Cola worked to limit the bill’s scope.

The Biden administration has labelled the Chinese government’s actions in Xinjiang — including the detention of more than 1 million Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities, as well as forced conversions, sterilization and arbitrary or unlawful killings — as genocide.

Human rights experts say that Beijing’s policies of moving Uyghurs into farms and factories that feed the global supply chain is an integral part of its repression in Xinjiang, an attempt to assimilate minorities and strip them of their culture and religion.

In a statement last week, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said that Biden welcomed the bill’s passage and agreed with Congress “that action can and must be taken to hold the People’s Republic of China accountable for genocide and human rights abuses and to address forced labour in Xinjiang.” She added that the administration would “work closely with Congress to implement this bill to ensure global supply chains are free of forced labour.”

Yet some members of the administration argued behind closed doors that the bill’s scope could overwhelm U.S. regulators and lead to further supply chain disruptions at a time when inflation is accelerating at a nearly 40-year high, according to interviews with more than two dozen government officials, members of Congress and their staff. Some officials also expressed concerns that an aggressive ban on Chinese imports could put the administration’s goals for fighting climate change at risk, given China’s dominance of solar panels and components to make them, people familiar with the discussions said.

John Kerry, Biden’s special envoy for climate change, and Wendy R. Sherman, the deputy secretary of state, separately conveyed some of those concerns in calls to Democratic members of Congress in recent months, according to four people familiar with the discussions.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., one of the bill’s lead authors, criticized those looking to limit its impact, saying that companies that want to continue to import products and officials who are reluctant to rock the boat with China “are not just going to give up.” He added, “They’re all going to try to weigh in on how it’s implemented.”

One reason the stakes are so high is because of the critical role that Xinjiang may play in many supply chains. The region, twice the size of Texas, is rich in raw materials like coal and oil and crops like tomatoes, lavender and hops; it is also a significant producer of electronics, sneakers and clothing. By some estimates, it provides one-fifth of the world’s cotton and 45% of the world’s polysilicon, a key ingredient for solar panels.

Xinjiang’s substantial presence in the solar supply chain has been a key source of tension in the Biden administration, which is counting on solar power to help the United States reach its goal of significantly cutting carbon emissions by the end of the decade.

In meetings this year, Biden administration officials weighed how difficult it would be for importers to bypass Xinjiang and relocate supply chains for solar goods and other products, according to three government officials. Officials from the Labor Department and the United States trade representative were more sympathetic to a far-reaching ban on Xinjiang goods, according to three people familiar with the discussions. Some officials in charge of climate, energy and the economy argued against a sweeping ban, saying it would wreak havoc on supply chains or compromise the fight against climate change, those people said.

Ana Hinojosa, who was the executive director of Customs and Border Protection and led the government’s enforcement of forced labour provisions until she left the post in October, said that agencies responsible for “competing priorities” like climate change had voiced concerns about the legislation’s impact. Companies and various government agencies became nervous that the law’s broad authorities could prove “devastating to the U.S. economy,” she said.

“The need to improve our clean energy is real and important, but not something that the government or the U.S. should do on the backs of people who are working under conditions of modern-day slavery,” Hinojosa added.

In a call with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California this year, Kerry conveyed concerns about disrupting solar supply chains while Sherman shared her concerns with Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., according to people familiar with the conversations.

Merkley, one of the lead sponsors of the bill, said in an interview that Sherman told him she was concerned the legislation was not duly “targeted and deliberative.” The conversation was first reported by The Washington Post.

“I think this is a targeted and deliberative approach,” Merkley said. “And I think the administration is starting to see how strongly Republicans and Democrats in both chambers feel about this.”

A State Department official said that Sherman did not initiate the call and did not express opposition to the bill. Whitney Smith, a spokesperson for Kerry, said any accusations he lobbied against the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act were “false.” Pelosi declined to discuss private conversations.

Nury Turkel, a Uyghur American lawyer who is the vice chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, said the United States must “tackle both genocide and ecocide.”

“Policymakers and climate activists are making it a choice between saving the world and turning a blind eye to the enslavement of Uyghurs,” he said. “It is false, and we cannot allow ourselves to be forced into it.”

Administration officials have also argued that the United States can take a strong stance against forced labour while developing a robust solar supply chain. Emily Horne, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, said that Biden “believes what is going on in Xinjiang is genocide” and that the administration had taken a range of actions to combat human rights abuses in the region, including financial sanctions, visa restrictions, export controls, import restrictions and a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics in February.

“We have taken action to hold the PRC accountable for its human rights abuses and to address forced labour in Xinjiang,” Horne said, using the abbreviation for the People’s Republic of China. “And we will continue to do so.”

The law highlights the delicate U.S.-China relationship, in which policymakers must figure out how to confront anti-Democratic practices while the United States is economically dependent on Chinese factories. China remains the largest supplier of goods to the United States.

One of the biggest hurdles for U.S. businesses is determining whether their products touched Xinjiang at any point in the supply chain. Many companies complain that beyond their direct suppliers, they lack the leverage to demand information from the Chinese firms that manufacture raw materials and parts.

Government restrictions that bar foreigners from unfettered access to sites in Xinjiang have made it difficult for many businesses to investigate their supply chains. New Chinese anti-sanctions rules, which threaten penalties against companies that comply with U.S. restrictions, have made vetting even more difficult.

The Chinese government denies forced labour is used in Xinjiang. Zhao Lijian, a government spokesperson, said U.S. politicians were “seeking to contain China and hold back China’s development through political manipulation and economic bullying in the name of ‘human rights.’” He promised a “resolute response” if the bill became law.

Lawmakers struggled over the past year to reconcile a more aggressive House version of the legislation with one in the Senate, which gave companies longer timelines to make changes and stripped out the SEC reporting requirement, among other differences.

The final bill included a mechanism to create lists of entities and products that use forced labour or aid in the transfer of persecuted workers to factories around China. Businesses like Apple had lobbied for the creation of such lists, believing they would provide more certainty for businesses seeking to avoid entities of concern.

A far-reaching bill aimed at barring products made with forced labour in China became law after President Joe Biden signed the bill Thursday. But the next four months — during which the Biden administration will convene hearings to investigate how pervasive forced labour is and what to do about it — will be crucial in determining how far the legislation goes in altering the behaviour of companies that source products from China.

A far-reaching bill aimed at barring products made with forced labour in China became law after President Joe Biden signed the bill Thursday. But the next four months — during which the Biden administration will convene hearings to investigate how pervasive forced labour is and what to do about it — will be crucial in determining how far the legislation goes in altering the behaviour of companies that source products from China. While it is against U.S. law to knowingly import goods made with slave labour, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act shifts the burden of proof to companies from customs officials. Firms will have to proactively prove that their factories, and those of all their suppliers, do not use slavery or coercion. The law, which passed the House and Senate nearly unanimously, is Washington’s first comprehensive effort to police supply chains that the United States says exploit persecuted minorities, and its impact could be sweeping. A wide range of products and raw materials — such as petroleum, cotton, minerals and sugar — flow from the Xinjiang region of China, where accusations of forced labour proliferate. Those materials are often used in Chinese factories that manufacture products for global companies. “I anticipate that there will be many companies — even entire industries — that will be taken by surprise when they realize that their supply chains can also be traced back to the Uyghur region,” said Laura Murphy, a professor of human rights and contemporary slavery at Sheffield Hallam University in Britain. If the law is enforced as written, it could force many companies to rework how they do business or risk having products blocked at the U.S. border. Those high stakes are expected to set off a crush of lobbying by companies trying to ease the burden on their industries as the government writes the guidelines that importers must follow. “Genuine, effective enforcement will most likely mean there will be pushback by corporations and an attempt to create loopholes,” said Cathy Feingold, the international director of the AFL-CIO. “So the implementation will be key.” Behind-the-scenes negotiations before the bill’s passage provided an early indication of how consequential the legislation could be for some of America’s biggest companies, as business groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and brand names like Nike and Coca-Cola worked to limit the bill’s scope. The Biden administration has labelled the Chinese government’s actions in Xinjiang — including the detention of more than 1 million Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities, as well as forced conversions, sterilization and arbitrary or unlawful killings — as genocide. Human rights experts say that Beijing’s policies of moving Uyghurs into farms and factories that feed the global supply chain is an integral part of its repression in Xinjiang, an attempt to assimilate minorities and strip them of their culture and religion. In a statement last week, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said that Biden welcomed the bill’s passage and agreed with Congress “that action can and must be taken to hold the People’s Republic of China accountable for genocide and human rights abuses and to address forced labour in Xinjiang.” She added that the administration would “work closely with Congress to implement this bill to ensure global supply chains are free of forced labour.” Yet some members of the administration argued behind closed doors that the bill’s scope could overwhelm U.S. regulators and lead to further supply chain disruptions at a time when inflation is accelerating at a nearly 40-year high, according to interviews with more than two dozen government officials, members of Congress and their staff. Some officials also expressed concerns that an aggressive ban on Chinese imports could put the administration’s goals for fighting climate change at risk, given China’s dominance of solar panels and components to make them, people familiar with the discussions said. John Kerry, Biden’s special envoy for climate change, and Wendy R. Sherman, the deputy secretary of state, separately conveyed some of those concerns in calls to Democratic members of Congress in recent months, according to four people familiar with the discussions. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., one of the bill’s lead authors, criticized those looking to limit its impact, saying that companies that want to continue to import products and officials who are reluctant to rock the boat with China “are not just going to give up.” He added, “They’re all going to try to weigh in on how it’s implemented.” One reason the stakes are so high is because of the critical role that Xinjiang may play in many supply chains. The region, twice the size of Texas, is rich in raw materials like coal and oil and crops like tomatoes, lavender and hops; it is also a significant producer of electronics, sneakers and clothing. By some estimates, it provides one-fifth of the world’s cotton and 45% of the world’s polysilicon, a key ingredient for solar panels. Xinjiang’s substantial presence in the solar supply chain has been a key source of tension in the Biden administration, which is counting on solar power to help the United States reach its goal of significantly cutting carbon emissions by the end of the decade. In meetings this year, Biden administration officials weighed how difficult it would be for importers to bypass Xinjiang and relocate supply chains for solar goods and other products, according to three government officials. Officials from the Labor Department and the United States trade representative were more sympathetic to a far-reaching ban on Xinjiang goods, according to three people familiar with the discussions. Some officials in charge of climate, energy and the economy argued against a sweeping ban, saying it would wreak havoc on supply chains or compromise the fight against climate change, those people said. Ana Hinojosa, who was the executive director of Customs and Border Protection and led the government’s enforcement of forced labour provisions until she left the post in October, said that agencies responsible for “competing priorities” like climate change had voiced concerns about the legislation’s impact. Companies and various government agencies became nervous that the law’s broad authorities could prove “devastating to the U.S. economy,” she said. “The need to improve our clean energy is real and important, but not something that the government or the U.S. should do on the backs of people who are working under conditions of modern-day slavery,” Hinojosa added. In a call with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California this year, Kerry conveyed concerns about disrupting solar supply chains while Sherman shared her concerns with Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., according to people familiar with the conversations. Merkley, one of the lead sponsors of the bill, said in an interview that Sherman told him she was concerned the legislation was not duly “targeted and deliberative.” The conversation was first reported by The Washington Post. “I think this is a targeted and deliberative approach,” Merkley said. “And I think the administration is starting to see how strongly Republicans and Democrats in both chambers feel about this.” A State Department official said that Sherman did not initiate the call and did not express opposition to the bill. Whitney Smith, a spokesperson for Kerry, said any accusations he lobbied against the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act were “false.” Pelosi declined to discuss private conversations. Nury Turkel, a Uyghur American lawyer who is the vice chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, said the United States must “tackle both genocide and ecocide.” “Policymakers and climate activists are making it a choice between saving the world and turning a blind eye to the enslavement of Uyghurs,” he said. “It is false, and we cannot allow ourselves to be forced into it.” Administration officials have also argued that the United States can take a strong stance against forced labour while developing a robust solar supply chain. Emily Horne, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, said that Biden “believes what is going on in Xinjiang is genocide” and that the administration had taken a range of actions to combat human rights abuses in the region, including financial sanctions, visa restrictions, export controls, import restrictions and a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics in February. “We have taken action to hold the PRC accountable for its human rights abuses and to address forced labour in Xinjiang,” Horne said, using the abbreviation for the People’s Republic of China. “And we will continue to do so.” The law highlights the delicate U.S.-China relationship, in which policymakers must figure out how to confront anti-Democratic practices while the United States is economically dependent on Chinese factories. China remains the largest supplier of goods to the United States. One of the biggest hurdles for U.S. businesses is determining whether their products touched Xinjiang at any point in the supply chain. Many companies complain that beyond their direct suppliers, they lack the leverage to demand information from the Chinese firms that manufacture raw materials and parts. Government restrictions that bar foreigners from unfettered access to sites in Xinjiang have made it difficult for many businesses to investigate their supply chains. New Chinese anti-sanctions rules, which threaten penalties against companies that comply with U.S. restrictions, have made vetting even more difficult. The Chinese government denies forced labour is used in Xinjiang. Zhao Lijian, a government spokesperson, said U.S. politicians were “seeking to contain China and hold back China’s development through political manipulation and economic bullying in the name of ‘human rights.’” He promised a “resolute response” if the bill became law. Lawmakers struggled over the past year to reconcile a more aggressive House version of the legislation with one in the Senate, which gave companies longer timelines to make changes and stripped out the SEC reporting requirement, among other differences. The final bill included a mechanism to create lists of entities and products that use forced labour or aid in the transfer of persecuted workers to factories around China. Businesses like Apple had lobbied for the creation of such lists, believing they would provide more certainty for businesses seeking to avoid entities of concern.

US effort to combat forced labour targets corporate China ties

A London-based Tribunal has found China guilty of committing genocide against Uyghurs.

The Uyghur tribunal ruled that Chinese President Xi Jinping was ''primarily responsible'' for acts perpetrated against Muslim minority groups.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-chinas-wolf-warrior-tweets-wion-report-435627/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to the tribunal's chairman, Geoffrey Nice, "The tribunal is satisfied that the PRC [People's Republic of China] has affected a deliberate, systematic and concerted policy with the object of so-called 'optimising' the population in Xinjiang by the means of a long-term reduction of Uyghur and other ethnic minority populations to be achieved through limiting and reducing Uyghur births."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/a-day-in-the-life-of-uighurs-251734">Also see |&nbsp;A day in the life of China’s persecuted Uighur community</a>

Welcoming the final judgment of the tribunal, World Uyghur Congress (WUC) said, &nbsp;"This is a historic day for the Uyghur people."

"The verdict recognizing the Uyghur genocide by an independent body, which also provided the only venue for Uyghur and other survivors to speak and provide firsthand evidence to a quasi-judicial body, is a crucial step towards wider recognition by the international community," said WUC President, Dolkun Isa.

In Xinjiang,&nbsp;more than a million people, mainly Uyghurs and members of other Muslim minorities have been detained as per the United Nations.

The Chinese embassy in London said the tribunal was a tool of China's enemies who were spreading lies.

It is "nothing but a political tool used by a few anti-China and separatist elements to deceive and mislead the public," an embassy spokesman said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-condemns-rights-groups-report-on-xinjiang-and-uighur-muslims-366040">Also read |&nbsp;China condemns rights group's report on Xinjiang and Uighur Muslims</a>

"Anyone with conscience and reason will not be deceived or fooled," the spokesman said.

China has slapped sanctions on the panel chair Geoffrey Nice, who prosecuted the former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic for war crimes at the UN tribunal in The Hague.

The plight of the Uyghurs has contributed to worsening diplomatic relations between Western powers and Beijing, which denies any abuses.

In February, both the Canadian and Dutch parliaments adopted motions recognising the Uyghur crisis as genocide.

(With inputs from agencies)

A London-based Tribunal has found China guilty of committing genocide against Uyghurs. The Uyghur tribunal ruled that Chinese President Xi Jinping was ''primarily responsible'' for acts perpetrated against Muslim minority groups.

A London-based Tribunal has found China guilty of committing genocide against Uyghurs. The Uyghur tribunal ruled that Chinese President Xi Jinping was ''primarily responsible'' for acts perpetrated against Muslim minority groups. According to the tribunal's chairman, Geoffrey Nice, "The tribunal is satisfied that the PRC [People's Republic of China] has affected a deliberate, systematic and concerted policy with the object of so-called 'optimising' the population in Xinjiang by the means of a long-term reduction of Uyghur and other ethnic minority populations to be achieved through limiting and reducing Uyghur births." Also see | A day in the life of China’s persecuted Uighur community Welcoming the final judgment of the tribunal, World Uyghur Congress (WUC) said, "This is a historic day for the Uyghur people." "The verdict recognizing the Uyghur genocide by an independent body, which also provided the only venue for Uyghur and other survivors to speak and provide firsthand evidence to a quasi-judicial body, is a crucial step towards wider recognition by the international community," said WUC President, Dolkun Isa. In Xinjiang, more than a million people, mainly Uyghurs and members of other Muslim minorities have been detained as per the United Nations. The Chinese embassy in London said the tribunal was a tool of China's enemies who were spreading lies. It is "nothing but a political tool used by a few anti-China and separatist elements to deceive and mislead the public," an embassy spokesman said. Also read | China condemns rights group's report on Xinjiang and Uighur Muslims "Anyone with conscience and reason will not be deceived or fooled," the spokesman said. China has slapped sanctions on the panel chair Geoffrey Nice, who prosecuted the former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic for war crimes at the UN tribunal in The Hague. The plight of the Uyghurs has contributed to worsening diplomatic relations between Western powers and Beijing, which denies any abuses. In February, both the Canadian and Dutch parliaments adopted motions recognising the Uyghur crisis as genocide. (With inputs from agencies)

Tribunal rules China committed genocide against Uyghurs, Jinping 'primarily' responsible

New&nbsp;Zealand&nbsp;shied away from labelling China's treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority genocide on Wednesday, once again leaving Wellington out of step with its more forthright Western allies.

The country's parliament unanimously passed a motion expressing "grave concern" at human rights abuses in Xinjiang province, but only after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's ruling Labour Party insisted any reference to genocide was scrubbed out.

Lawmaker Brooke van Velden said that, while allies such as the United States, Britain and Canada had called what was taking place genocide, it was "intolerable" that&nbsp;New&nbsp;Zealand&nbsp;refused to use the term to avoid upsetting its largest trading partner.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-chinas-uighur-abuses-new-zealand-shops-short-of-calling-it-a-genocide-383090">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-chinas-uighur-abuses-new-zealand-shops-short-of-calling-it-a-genocide-383090/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"The world is looking to us now to see what standard we are going to set, can the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) play us off as the weakest link in the Western Alliance," she said.

"We may face the threat of loss if we speak our mind, but we face a much greater danger if we don't."

At least one million Uyghurs and people from other mostly Muslim minorities have been held in camps in Xinjiang, according to rights groups, who accuse authorities of forcibly sterilising women and imposing forced labour.

Van Velden, from the&nbsp;opposition ACT Party, received support on the genocide question from the Greens, who said it was "stunningly callous" to water down the condemnation of China's actions to maintain trade relations.

"It's absolutely morally indefensible and a breach of&nbsp;New&nbsp;Zealand's legal obligations," Greens MP Golriz Ghahraman said.

Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta told parliament that&nbsp;New&nbsp;Zealand&nbsp;had raised its concerns about the situation in Xinjiang with China at the highest levels of government.

But she said Wellington only recognised a genocide when it had been defined as such by international courts, citing the Holocaust, as well as atrocities in Rwanda and Cambodia.

"We have not formally designated the situation as constituting a genocide, this is not due to a lack of concern," she said.

"Genocide is the gravest of international crimes and a formal legal determination should only be made following a rigorous assessment on the basis of international law."

Ardern this week conceded&nbsp;New&nbsp;Zealand's differences with China on human rights were becoming "harder to reconcile", but said her government would continue to point out areas of concern to Beijing.

Ardern's government has taken flak over its meek criticisms of China's rights record, leading to accusations&nbsp;New&nbsp;Zealand&nbsp;is a weak link in the US-led Five Eyes intelligence network.

New Zealand shied away from labelling China's treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority genocide on Wednesday, once again leaving Wellington out of step with its more forthright Western allies.

New Zealand shied away from labelling China's treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority genocide on Wednesday, once again leaving Wellington out of step with its more forthright Western allies. The country's parliament unanimously passed a motion expressing "grave concern" at human rights abuses in Xinjiang province, but only after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's ruling Labour Party insisted any reference to genocide was scrubbed out. Lawmaker Brooke van Velden said that, while allies such as the United States, Britain and Canada had called what was taking place genocide, it was "intolerable" that New Zealand refused to use the term to avoid upsetting its largest trading partner. Watch | "The world is looking to us now to see what standard we are going to set, can the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) play us off as the weakest link in the Western Alliance," she said. "We may face the threat of loss if we speak our mind, but we face a much greater danger if we don't." At least one million Uyghurs and people from other mostly Muslim minorities have been held in camps in Xinjiang, according to rights groups, who accuse authorities of forcibly sterilising women and imposing forced labour. Van Velden, from the opposition ACT Party, received support on the genocide question from the Greens, who said it was "stunningly callous" to water down the condemnation of China's actions to maintain trade relations. "It's absolutely morally indefensible and a breach of New Zealand's legal obligations," Greens MP Golriz Ghahraman said. Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta told parliament that New Zealand had raised its concerns about the situation in Xinjiang with China at the highest levels of government. But she said Wellington only recognised a genocide when it had been defined as such by international courts, citing the Holocaust, as well as atrocities in Rwanda and Cambodia. "We have not formally designated the situation as constituting a genocide, this is not due to a lack of concern," she said. "Genocide is the gravest of international crimes and a formal legal determination should only be made following a rigorous assessment on the basis of international law." Ardern this week conceded New Zealand's differences with China on human rights were becoming "harder to reconcile", but said her government would continue to point out areas of concern to Beijing. Ardern's government has taken flak over its meek criticisms of China's rights record, leading to accusations New Zealand is a weak link in the US-led Five Eyes intelligence network.

Why is New Zealand shying away from calling out China?