News

Miami, FL — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) issued a statement after the U.S. State Department imposed visa bans against Chinese government and Communist Party officials responsible for or complicit in grave human rights abuses against ethnic Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).
 
“No Chinese officials complicit in the mass internment and high-tech surveillance of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities should enjoy access to America. This is an important and long overdue step by the U.S. government. We should continue to do more to hold Chinese government and Communist Party officials accountable for potential crimes against humanity being committed in Xinjiang. The U.S should also press other nations to take similar steps, Chinese officials should not escape international accountability.”  
 
Highlights of Rubio’s Actions in Support of Uyghurs and Other Religious and Ethnic Minorities in Xinjiang:
 

• On October 8, 2019, Rubio praised the addition of Hikvision, Dahua Technology, SenseTime, Megvii to Commerce Department’s Entity List.
• On May 6, 2019, during a speech at the Ronald Reagan Institute, Rubio urged the Trump administration hold China accountable for abuses against Uyghurs. 
• On April 3, 2019, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and colleagues urged strong sanctions, export controls and financial disclosures to counter Chinese human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
• On January 17, 2019, Rubio, Menendez and colleagues re-introduced legislation in response to China’s human rights abuses of Uyghurs.
• On November 14, 2018, Rubio, Menendez and colleagues introduced legislation in response to China’s human rights abuses of Uyghurs.
• On October 10, 2018, Rubio and U.S. Representative Chris Smith issued the Congressional-Executive Commission 2018 Annual Report addressing possible ‘crimes against humanity’.
• On October 10, 2018, Rubio and Smith wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed on how China grows more repressive.
• On September 12, 2018, Rubio and Chris Smith (R-NJ), urged Commerce Secretary to limit technology sales to Chinese entities targeting Uyghur Muslims.
• On September 7, 2018, Rubio discussed crackdown on Uyghur Muslims in China on NPR.
• On August 29, 2018, Rubio and colleagues urged the Trump administration to sanction human rights violators in China’s Xinjiang region.
• On August 23, 2018, Rubio discussed China’s oppression of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang on Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight.
• On August 10, 2018, Rubio wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed on China’s campaign against Uyghur Muslims and other minorities.
• On July 26, 2018, Rubio chairs Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing on Xinjiang’s human rights crisis.
• On May 15, 2018, Rubio and Smith asked Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross about sale of surveillance technology to Chinese police.
• On April 4, 2018, Rubio and Smith urged U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad to prioritize mass detention of Uyghurs, including family members of Radio Free Asia employees.
• On January 8, 2018, Rubio and Smith raise alarm about deteriorating human rights situation in Xinjiang.