China opposes US' move to sign bill that bans 'forced labour' imports from Xinjiang

After the United States signed the "Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act" into law on Thursday, China condemned it, as the law prohibits the importation of goods into the US made with forced labour in Xinjiang. In defiance of facts and truth, this Act maliciously demeans the human rights situation in China's Xinjiang region, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement as per a report by Sputnik. "It is a blatant violation of international law and basic rules governing international relations, as well as an egregious intrusion into China's internal affairs. China strongly condemns and rejects this," the statement added. 

The statement also called on Washington to fix its mistakes and refrain from interfering in China's internal affairs. This new law gives the US government new measures to prohibit commodities created in Xinjiang with forced labour from reaching US markets, as well as to promote accountability for those guilty of forced labour abuse The Chinese Foreign Ministry also stated that the US had exploited Xinjiang-related issues to spread false information and incite violence.

According to the statement, Washington engaged in political manipulation and economic coercion under the guise of human rights in order to stifle Xinjiang's prosperity and China's development. Xinjiang-related concerns are entirely within China's jurisdiction and the Chinese government and people are committed to defending their country's sovereignty, security, and development objectives, the statement said. "We urge the United States to remedy its error immediately and cease using Xinjiang-related concerns to disseminate misinformation, meddle in China's internal affairs, and stifle its development," stated the ministry as reported by Sputnik. 

US accuses China of imprisoning up to 1.8 million minorities

The ministry also stated, that depending on the course of developments, China would respond to the matter in the future. Meanwhile, China is accused by US lawmakers of unlawfully imprisoning up to 1.8 million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Muslim minorities in extrajudicial mass detention camps. According to the law, these detainees are forced to produce textiles, electronics, shoes, handicrafts, tea and food products. However, the Chinese government has refuted allegations of human rights violations in Xinjiang, as per an ANI report. According to the White House, the bill was initiated by the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Schumer, Representatives McGovern and Chris Smith, and Senators Merkley and Rubio. 

Image: AP