Pompeo says China’s policies on Muslims in Xinjiang amount to ‘genocide’

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo (AP/Andrew Harnik, Pool)

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has imposed new sanctions on China and said its policies on Muslims and ethnic minorities in Xinjiang constitute a “genocide”.

Mr Pompeo made the determination just 24 hours before President-elect Joe Biden takes office. There was no immediate response from the incoming Biden team, although several members have been sympathetic to such a designation in the past.