The Trump administration has characterised the repression of Muslim Uighurs in China’s Xinjiang province as genocide, in a last-minute move that will increase pressure on US president-elect Joe Biden to address the claims.
Mike Pompeo, US secretary of state, said: “I believe this genocide is ongoing and that we are witnessing the systematic attempt to destroy Uighurs by the Chinese party-state.”
Mr Pompeo took the step in his final full day in office, accusing China of crimes against humanity, including forced sterilisations and torturing some of the “more than a million” civilians he said were detained under the direction of the Chinese Communist party.
He called on “all appropriate multilateral and relevant juridical bodies to join the United States in our effort to promote accountability for those responsible for these atrocities”. He said the US state department would continue to investigate and make evidence available to appropriate authorities and…