The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday that legislation passed by the US Senate that could ban imports from China's Xinjiang region would "severely damage" the global economy. The United States has accused China of carrying out genocide in the northwestern region, where more than one million Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic people are estimated to be have been held in camps. Beijing denies it has thrust Uyghurs into forced labour camps, insisting they are in training programmes or work schemes, and argue that better education has helped stamp out extremism in the region. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES