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Starting this Tuesday, June 21, US importers will have to prove that the products they buy from Xinjiang province were not manufactured with forced labor. Beijing has criticized the policy, saying Washington is using the accusations against it as a pretext to contain China’s growth.
To add seasoning to already tense relations between the United States and China, on June 21, 2022, the so-called Law on the Prevention of Forced Labor of Uyghurs by the United States came into effect.
Northwest China’s Xinjiang province produces about 85 percent of the country’s cotton and is a major source of export resources. However, under the terms of the new law, this and other products such as tomatoes enter a stage of increased surveillance.
Under the law, signed into law in December 2021 by US President Joe Biden, companies must prove that imports from Xinjiang do not come from forced labor.
China is accused of detaining people from the Uyghur ethnic minority in internment camps, forcing them to work for just a fraction of the minimum wage. Beijing has repeatedly said that the accusations are false.
The horrible UN record on China’s persecution of Uyghurs in Xinjiang:
1. No Human Rights Council or General Assembly debate, resolution, investigation.
2. Tepid words Secretary-General Guterres.
3. A disastrous trip by rights chief Bachelet and no report. https://t.co/rbRte8BMWM pic.twitter.com/QzHVrGEXz7— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) June 21, 2022
Beijing on Tuesday criticized the enactment of the law, emphasizing that it is “based on lies” as “another attempt by the United States to smear China and contain its development.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a press conference that the so-called “forced labor” in Xinjiang is completely contrary to the actual situation in the region.
“The labor rights and interests of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang have been effectively protected,” Wang said.
Earlier this month, the European Parliament also called for a similar import ban, although there are concerns about supply chain traceability.
Last year, French prosecutors opened an investigation into four fashion retailers suspected of concealing “crimes against humanity” in Xinjiang. The investigation involves brands such as Uniqlo, Zara and Skechers.
with Reuters
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