According to the US President Joe Biden, the US will prohibit imports from the China’s Xinjiang area due to worries over slave labor.
China denies human rights violations in Xinjiang, a key cotton grower that also produces a large portion of the world’s solar panel components.
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act is part of the United States’ retaliation to Beijing’s exploitation of China’s Uyghur Muslim minority, which Washington has termed genocide.
This has sparked angry replies all over the country.
Embassy spokesperson of China Liu Pengyu however said,
“This a flagrant breach of international law and rules of international relations, as well as an intrusion into China’s domestic affairs. China strongly opposes and categorically rejects it”
He noted that China “will respond further in view of the progress of the situation,” but offered no additional details.
The bill was approved by Congress this month after lawmakers achieved a consensus between the House and Senate versions.
Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, one of the bill’s co-authors, said it was vital to “send a strong and clear statement against genocide and slave labour.”
He added, “Now… we can finally assure that American consumers and companies may buy items without inadvertently contributing to China’s appalling human rights violations,”
We wait to see what happens in the coming weeks.
