(ConservativeHub.com) – For years, America has known about China’s alleged mistreatment of ethnic Uyghur Muslims in its Xinjiang region. Yet, many companies continue to import goods from that region, hoping factories didn’t use forced labor when making the products. However, after a House vote this week, America is one step closer to protecting individuals in the Xinjiang region and holding US companies responsible for their labor and import practices.
On Wednesday, December 8, the House voted 428-1 to pass the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) was the only lawmaker to vote against the bill. The Senate passed a similar version of the act earlier this year, so the bill must now go to conference to work through differences before heading to Biden’s desk.
Axios highlighted the goal of the bill:
NEW: The House voted 428-1 to pass a bill that would ban all imports from the Chinese region of Xinjiang unless the U.S. government determines that the products were not made with forced labor.https://t.co/vkspWDmdtN
— Axios (@axios) December 8, 2021
The bill would require US companies to prove any suppliers from the region didn’t use forced labor to produce goods. It also forces the State Department to decide within 90 days if the horrific treatment of minorities in the region is officially genocide.
Although major companies like Nike and Coca-Cola lobbied against the bill, it still received clear bipartisan support. So, while the bill may slow down the production of solar panels and other goods produced in the region, it could serve as important step toward protecting millions of people from the Chinese Communist Party’s abuse.
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