An annual human rights report released by the U.S. State Department accused the Chinese government of "crimes against humanity” and reaffirmed a decision to label China’s treatment of minority Uyghurs in its western region of Xinjiang as "genocide.”
The publication Tuesday of the "2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices” signaled continued tensions with China under U.S. President Joe Biden, who has maintained many of the Trump administration’s hard-line policies against Beijing.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a news conference on the report that the U.S. was looking into "consequences” for human rights violators, citing economic sanctions and visa restrictions against Chinese officials as an example. Such actions are most effective, he said, when conducted together with allies.