Uyghur Policy Act of 2025
The Uyghur Policy Act of 2025 is a comprehensive U.S. legislative package aimed at advancing the human rights of Uyghurs and other minority groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China. It documents findings about repression in Xinjiang, strengthens U.S. government coordination and public diplomacy, and seeks to increase international pressure and oversight. Key ideas include pressuring China to end detention camps and crackdowns, ensuring greater access for international observers and media, promoting Uyghur language capacity within U.S. diplomacy, and expanding U.N. engagement on Xinjiang abuses. The bill would also fund limited public diplomacy efforts in Muslim-majority countries to promote Uyghur rights, while establishing reporting mechanisms and a five-year sunset for part of its coordination provisions. The bill would increase U.S. diplomacy and advocacy around the Xinjiang issue, promote transparency and human-rights monitoring, and seek relief for detainees and diaspora communities. It would not authorize additional general funds beyond amounts explicitly set aside, but it would authorize targeted funding (for 2025–2027) to support public diplomacy by Uyghur rights advocates. It could heighten tensions with the PRC while leveraging international and regional partners to press for reforms and accountability.
Key Points
- 1Findings and policy framing: The bill lays out detailed findings on alleged abuses in Xinjiang—including repression of Uyghur identity, mass detention in “political reeducation” centers, transnational repression, and reported genocide. It references statements by U.S. and international bodies and urges action consistent with those concerns.
- 2Sense of Congress and PRC actions: It urges China to open XUAR to regular, transparent visits by press and international organizations; protect Uyghur identity; cease government crackdowns and transnational repression; and facilitate the release of prisoners tied to ethnic or religious identity. It also calls for access for humanitarian organizations to detention centers and for continued U.S. information sharing about Xinjiang.
- 3U.S. coordination and reporting (Section 4): Creates a coordinated U.S. government effort led by the State Department to prioritize Uyghur rights, maintain contact with Uyghur leaders, coordinate aid to rights advocates, work with international partners (including Europe, Central Asia, and the OIC), and develop a strategy to address transnational repression. It requires an annual (to Congress) report on actions taken and progress, with a five-year sunset for this section.
- 4Targeted funding for public diplomacy (Section 5): Authorizes $250,000 per year (FY 2025–2027) from the United States Speaker Program to support human rights advocates who speak publicly about Uyghur issues in Islamic-world forums, with names supplied by State in consultation with the global Uyghur community.
- 5Detention facilities and access (Section 7): Requires the State Department to develop within 180 days a strategy to pressure China to close detention facilities, allow independent access for media and international bodies, and protect Uyghur rights. It also requires a one-year report detailing the strategy and its implementation.
- 6Uyghur language training for diplomats (Section 8): Requires steps to provide Uyghur language training for Foreign Service officers and to aim for at least one Uyghur-speaking officer at each U.S. post in China; the Foreign Service Institute must report progress on implementation annually for two years.
- 7United Nations engagement (Section 9): Directs the U.S. to push at the UN to oppose blocking consideration of Xinjiang abuses, permit Uyghur advocates to participate in UN fora, and support appointing a UN special rapporteur or working group to monitor Xinjiang and share findings with UN bodies and the High Commissioners.
- 8Police and prisoner releases and named individuals (in Sense of Congress): Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of prisoners detained for ethnic, cultural, or religious reasons, including named cases such as Ekper Asat, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, and Kamile Wayit.
- 9No new broad funding (Section 6): States that no additional funds are authorized beyond those specified; requirements are to be carried out with already authorized appropriations.