Artists play music in the ancient city of Kashgar, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 12, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

Leaders of some Chinese American groups have expressed firm opposition to and issued a strong condemnation of the Xinjiang-related bill passed by the US House of Representatives.

The passage of the so-called "Uygur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019" earlier this month is a gross interference in China's internal affairs, and lays bare the double standards the United States is playing with on counterterrorism and human rights issues, said Liang Guanjun, president of the United Chinese Association of Eastern US Inc., at a gathering of over 100 Chinese Americans on Tuesday in Flushing, New York.

The political move will encourage the spread of terrorism in Xinjiang and have a negative impact on the development of US-China relations, Liang said.

Ma Yue, president of New York Association for the Peaceful Unification of China, said that Americans, especially New Yorkers, understand the pain inflicted by terrorism.

However, by passing the Xinjiang-related bill, the US House turned a blind eye to China's efforts to eradicate terrorism, and the move will hinder the development of counterterrorism operations worldwide, Ma said.

"Why conducting certain crimes are defined as terrorism in the United States, while doing the same things in China are somehow defined as a movement defending human rights? This is purely playing with double standards," he added.