image courtesy of Getty Images The United States has issued a new caution to businesses considering doing business in China’s Xinjiang province. American companies with supply chain and investment linkages in the region were warned that they “may be in violation of US law.” In Xinjiang, Washington identified evidence of genocide and other human rights violations. China has disputed charges that the Uyghur population in the region has been exposed to human rights violations. The State Department, Treasury, Commerce, Homeland Security, Labor, and the Office of the US Trade Representative collaborated on the Xinjiang Supply Chain Business Advisory. “Businesses and persons who do not quit supply chains, endeavors, and/or investments linked to Xinjiang may be in violation of US law,” according to the new alert, which was first posted in July of last year. Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed in a press statement that the paper stated that China’s “government is committed genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang.” Retailers in France are being investigated for allegations of forced labor. After the Xinjiang boycott, H&M has seen a drop in sales in China. How do I determine if my jeans contain Xinjiang cotton? The announcement comes as Western countries tighten their stance on corporations doing business in China’s northwest. The Biden administration put 14 Chinese companies and other entities to its economic blacklist on Friday in response to alleged human rights violations and spying in Xinjiang. Four fashion businesses were the subject of a “crimes against humanity” investigation launched by French authorities earlier this month. Uniqlo, Inditex, the parent company of Zara, and SMCP, a French textile company, have all denied the allegations, while Skechers has declined to comment. Following accusations from the European Uyghur Institute and other pressure organizations that the retailers profited from the use of forced labor, the decision was made. The Xinjiang region produces 85 percent of China’s cotton and contributes nearly a fifth of the world’s cotton. Uyghurs have been held in facilities where there have been reports of torture, forced labor, and sexual abuse. These assertions have been refuted by China, which asserts that the camps are “re-education” centers aimed at pulling Uyghurs out of poverty. Continue reading: Who are the Uyghurs? China United States of America XinjiangTrade/n
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