BEIJING - Beijing summoned a representative of the US embassy on Tuesday to protest against a bill passed by the US House of Representatives on Chinese authorities' treatment of the Muslim Uighur minority in northwest China's Xinjiang Province, state television reported.
The report said Vice Foreign Minister Shin Gang had presented a "strong protest note" to William Klein, US embassy political adviser, and urged the United States to stop its interference in China's affairs.
On Tuesday, the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill requiring President Donald Trump's administration to toughen its stance on China's crackdown on the Muslim Uighur minority, angering Beijing. The text still needs to be approved by the Senate, where it is expected to gain significant support, before being submitted to President Trump.
The text calls on the US president to impose sanctions on senior Chinese officials in the Xinjiang region under tight security after witnessing attacks.
Earlier in the day, Beijing threatened that the United States would "pay the price" for adopting the bill.
The US initiative heightens tensions between the two superpowers, who are engaged in tough talks aimed at reaching a "preliminary agreement" to end their trade dispute.
Relations were further strained last week after President Trump passed a law supporting the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong since June.
Beijing on Monday responded by imposing sanctions on US-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and a comment on the transit of US warships in Chinese territorial waters.
It is noteworthy that Washington and human rights organizations and experts accuse Beijing that it is holding about one million Muslims from the Uighur minority in particular, in camps in the region for political rehabilitation, she says.
Beijing denies the number and maintains that the camps are only vocational training centers to combat extremism and terrorism, and to help people find jobs.
It also accuses "separatists and jihadists" of terrorist operations, and imposed tight security in the territory, which is more than three times the size of France, and is located on the border with Pakistan and Afghanistan.