US Bans Imports of Some Products from Xinjiang, China... "Human Rights Violations Due to Forced Labor of Ethnic Minorities"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] The U.S. administration announced on the 14th (local time) that it will ban the import of certain products produced in the Xinjiang region of China due to the Chinese government's use of "forced labor."

Mark Morgan, Acting Commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), stated that day, "The Chinese government is committing systematic abuses against ethnic minorities including the Uyghurs. Forced labor is a horrific human rights violation," and announced a Withhold Release Order (WRO), according to major foreign media reports.

According to the Withhold Release Order, CBP has the authority to detain shipments suspected of involving forced labor under U.S. laws addressing human trafficking, child labor, and human rights abuses. CBP designated cotton, fabric, clothing, hair products, and computer components produced by five companies in the Xinjiang region as prohibited import items.

The U.S. government is also considering a broad import ban on Xinjiang-produced cotton and tomatoes, and this measure is reported by the Associated Press to be a limited step focusing on these five items.

Kenneth Cuccinelli, Acting Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, also identified the Fourth Vocational Skills Education and Training Center in Luopu County, Xinjiang, as a center of forced labor on the same day.

Cuccinelli criticized, "This is not a vocational center but a forced labor camp," adding, "Religious and ethnic minorities are abused and forced to work in a brutal environment without freedom or support." He called it "modern-day slavery" and urged its closure.

Reuters reported that the U.S. government is using this measure to pressure the Chinese government over the detention of more than one million Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang under the pretext of re-education.

In response to the U.S. decision, Chinese authorities protested, calling it a "political maneuver." Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing on the 15th (local time), "The U.S. used the forced labor issue as a pretext to sanction Chinese companies," criticizing that "this violates international trade rules and destroys the global production supply value chain."

Spokesperson Wang asserted, "China firmly opposes the U.S. measures," and claimed, "Minority workers in the Xinjiang region are part of China's vast workforce." He further stated, "China hopes the U.S. will abandon prejudice and stop political maneuvers," warning, "China will take all necessary measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies."

Earlier, in July, the U.S. government designated 11 Chinese companies involved in human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities as targets for sanctions.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.