Hurd Stands with Uyghurs Against China’s Continued Human Rights Abuses

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Representative Will Hurd (TX-23) continued to condemn China's repeated human rights abuses by joining his colleagues tonight to stand united with the Uyghur population in China's Xinjiang province. Tonight, the House passed the bipartisan UIGHUR Act of 2019, which serves as a vital step to counter the oppressive Chinese government's widespread and horrific human rights abuses, including the mass imprisonment of over one million Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities. After unanimously passing through the Senate, the bill is now on its way to the President's desk to be signed into law.

'General Secretary Xi and his communist regime continue to oppress over a million Uyghurs - their own citizens - through torturous detention camps in hopes of eradicating the Islamic faith in China. Xinjiang is a test bed for the surveillance state the Communist Party wants to erect both in China and across other authoritarian regimes around the world.' said Hurd. 'I am proud to join this bipartisan push for human rights and freedom as we continue to work to end this horrific oppression. The United States of America must continue to serve as a beacon for not only the West but for the rest of the world.'

Rep. Hurd has consistently spoken out against the dangers China poses to the United States and our allies and how we must work together to compete with and out-innovate China.

Last month, Rep. Hurd joined his colleagues to help unanimously pass:

• The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which requires an annual certification that China is respecting Hong Kong's internationally recognized autonomy to justify its special economic treatment;
• The PROTECT Hong Kong Act, which prohibits commercial exports of certain nonlethal crowd control items and defense articles and services to the Hong Kong Police Force; and,
• A resolution recognizing the importance of the U.S.-Hong Kong bilateral relationship, condemning the Chinese government's interference in Hong Kong's affairs and supporting the right of the people of Hong Kong to protest.

Over the summer Rep. Hurd also outlined his concerns on how the U.S. must update its strategy to remain the most important economy in the world against a rising China in an op-ed for USA Today, here.