U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's campaign said in a statement Tuesday that the Chinese government's oppression of Uighur Muslims and other ethnic minorities in the northwest region of Xinjiang constitutes "genocide." 

The statement added the former vice president "stands against it in the strongest terms."

Online news outlet Axios noted that why this matters is because genocide is a serious crime under international law and the U.S. government has adopted the formal label only on rare occasions after extensive documentation.

The article explained that China has vehemently rejected any claim that it is engaged in human rights abuses in Xinjiang, but that reports from journalists, NGOs and former detainees have documented a sweeping campaign of repression against Uighurs.

According to Axios, Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates initially provided the statement in response to an unconfirmed Politico story, which reported that the Trump administration is considering formally labeling China's actions as genocide.