U.S. President Joe Biden signed legislation on December 23 that will ban imports from China's Xinjiang region in the latest measure to punish Beijing over its treatment of China's Muslim Uyghur minority and other groups.
The legislation bars all goods from Xinjiang, labeling products as being made from forced labor. The Chinese government has established a network of detention camps for Uyghurs and other Muslims in the northwestern region.
Xinjiang supplies much of the world's materials for solar panels, but the United States and many rights groups have alleged that Beijing is carrying out genocide there.
China denies abuses in Xinjiang and has engaged in a series of tit-for-tat measures against Washington in reaction to the allegations.
SEE ALSO: China In Eurasia Briefing: Is The World Giving Beijing A Pass Over Xinjiang?China insists camps in the region are "vocational education centers" designed to help people avoid the influence of terrorism.
Washington has also announced a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympics. Several other countries have joined in the boycott, which does not have an impact on sending athletes to the event.