US Congress passes import ban on Chinese Uyghur region

The US Congress has passed a bill that requires companies to prove that goods imported from China's Xinjiang region were not produced with forced labour.

The US has accused China of genocide in its repression of the predominantly Muslim Uyghur minority there - a charge that China has repeatedly rejected.

The bill had been criticised by major companies that do business in the area, including Coca-Cola, Nike and Apple.

Its passage also overcame initial lack of support from the White House.

It was approved by the Senate on Thursday with the vote of every member of Congress except one.

The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, as the bill is formally known, now heads to the desk of President Joe Biden to be signed into law.

For months the White House avoided taking a stance on the legislation, but earlier this week press secretary Jen Psaki said Mr Biden would sign it.