President to Sign Into Law Bipartisan Bill Cosponsored by Senators Hassan & Shaheen to Crack Down on the Chinese Government’s Human Rights Violations

WASHINGTON — The Senate sent a bipartisan bill to President Biden’s desk, which U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan joined in introducing and Senator Jeanne Shaheen cosponsored, that will help ensure that goods made with Uyghur forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region do not enter the United States.

“We must hold China accountable for its inhumane treatment of Uyghurs and other predominately Muslim individuals, and this bill takes steps to do that,” Senator Hassan said. “I look forward to the President signing our bipartisan bill into law to help ensure that no product that is made with forced Uyghur labor can be found in stores in New Hampshire or anywhere in the United States.”  

“The human rights abuses committed by the Chinese government against Uyghur Muslims are atrocious. The international community must put in place mechanisms to prevent China from profiting from these abuses. An important component of our response is divesting from Chinese companies whose products are made with Uyghur forced labor,” said Senator Shaheen, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “The Biden administration has made human rights a centerpiece of its foreign policy, and this legislation provides an important tool for achieving those objectives. I’m glad Congress took swift action to ensure these goods do not reach our borders, and the global community must continue to pressure China to end these abhorrent practices.”

Last year, the Senate passed bipartisan legislation introduced by Senator Hassan that would require the U.S. to partner with allies in the Indo-Pacific region, Europe, and elsewhere to develop a unified approach to address the rise of China. In 2019, Senator Hassan participated in a congressional delegation to Japan, South Korea, China, and Taiwan to advance U.S. interests in this critical region and hold China accountable. 

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