U.S. House passes Uighur bill; vote likely to heighten U.S.-China tensions

FILE PHOTO: A Chinese police officer takes his position by the road near what is officially called a vocational education centre in Yining in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, China September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly backed legislation on Tuesday that would require the Trump administration to toughen its response to China’s crackdown on its Uighur Muslim minority.

The 407 to 1 vote was likely to increase tensions with Beijing, even though the measure is several steps from becoming law. It must still pass the U.S. Senate and then be sent to the White House for President Donald Trump to sign into law, or veto.

Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharman

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source: reuters.com