Why US Is Raising Pressure on China Over Treatment of Tibetans, Uyghurs

SAN FRANCISCO — Human rights advocates are welcoming what they see as increased U.S. attention to Chinese behavior in its volatile Tibet and Xinjiang regions, suggesting that lobbying by rights groups may have contributed to the surge of pressure on Beijing.

A law, a boycott and the appointment of a government official added up in late 2021 to increased U.S. resolve toward the restive Chinese regions, these advocates say.

The Muslim, ethnic Uyghur population in the Xinjiang region of northwestern China and ethnic Tibetans in a region of China's Himalayas have sparred over the past half-century with the Communist government over freedom of worship and displays of their indigenous culture. read more