Beijing urges US to ‘abandon prejudice’ over Xinjiang as Washington considers sanctions

China urged the United States on Wednesday to abandon its “prejudice” over Xinjiang, as the Trump administration considers sanctions against Chinese officials and companies linked to allegations of human rights abuses in the region, Reuters reported. Beijing “consistently resolutely opposes the US using Xinjiang-related issues to interfere in China’s internal affairs,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. Discussions have gained momentum within the US government over possible economic penalties in response to reports of mass detentions of ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims in the far western region. Any sanctions decision would be a rare move on human rights grounds by US President Donald Trump against China, with which he has engaged in a trade war.