US House of Representatives Passes Another Bill Against Uyghur Forced Labour, Compels Listed Companies to Disclose Details of Operations Involving Xinijang
The US House of Representatives passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act by 253 votes to 163 on 30 September, requiring publicly traded companies to disclose details of those of their business activities and supply chains involving Xinjiang. This was the second bill addressing force labour in Xinjiang the House had passed in 10 days.
Introduced in March by Democratic representative Jennifer Wexton, the bill seeks to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require issuers of securities to make necessary disclosures about activities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Following the bill’s passage, Wexton said on Twitter that Americans deserve to know if the products they use every day, from phones to clothes, are produced by forced labour. She stressed that “[c]omplicity in human rights abuses will not be tolerated.” Quoting the 2019 annual report on China by the cross-party Congressional Executive Committee on China, the bill notes numerous reports of the Chinese government cracking down on ethnic minorities and holding them in forced labour in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Source: Apple Daily #Oct01
#US #Xinjiang #China #Uyghur #House #Congress #JenniferWexton #ForcedLabour #Business #Securities
https://bit.ly/34FaL2d
The US House of Representatives passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act by 253 votes to 163 on 30 September, requiring publicly traded companies to disclose details of those of their business activities and supply chains involving Xinjiang. This was the second bill addressing force labour in Xinjiang the House had passed in 10 days.
Introduced in March by Democratic representative Jennifer Wexton, the bill seeks to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require issuers of securities to make necessary disclosures about activities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Following the bill’s passage, Wexton said on Twitter that Americans deserve to know if the products they use every day, from phones to clothes, are produced by forced labour. She stressed that “[c]omplicity in human rights abuses will not be tolerated.” Quoting the 2019 annual report on China by the cross-party Congressional Executive Committee on China, the bill notes numerous reports of the Chinese government cracking down on ethnic minorities and holding them in forced labour in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Source: Apple Daily #Oct01
#US #Xinjiang #China #Uyghur #House #Congress #JenniferWexton #ForcedLabour #Business #Securities
https://bit.ly/34FaL2d
Slavery will never be history as long as we turn a blind eye to China
Forced labour is an essential part of Chinese state’s programme to humiliate and destroy ethnic minorities. The Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) runs prison factories and tis own paramilitary force to keep its captives in line. It help the development of the Chinese cotton industry which supplies 20% of world’s cotton market.
XPCC sends forced labour to hand-harvest cotton which still on-going in Xinjiang from the website of Chinese companies and officials as evidence. If Chinese Communist party has a reserve army of forced labour, it has no need to spend on technology.
Clothing firms once sent auditors to Xinjiang to check forced labour was not in their supply lines. But the authorities started treating them as suspects and they pulled out.
The mapping of China’s “re-education” camps only began in 2018, Rahima Mahmut says. Whether with forced labour or the overthrow of the rule of law in Hong Kong, the tyrannical turn in Chinese policy is taking time to sink in.
Source: The Guardian #Dec05
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/dec/05/slavery-will-never-be-history-turn-blind-eye-to-china?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
#Xinjiang #Uyghur #ForcedLabour #ChineseCotton #Cotton #Slavery
Forced labour is an essential part of Chinese state’s programme to humiliate and destroy ethnic minorities. The Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) runs prison factories and tis own paramilitary force to keep its captives in line. It help the development of the Chinese cotton industry which supplies 20% of world’s cotton market.
XPCC sends forced labour to hand-harvest cotton which still on-going in Xinjiang from the website of Chinese companies and officials as evidence. If Chinese Communist party has a reserve army of forced labour, it has no need to spend on technology.
Clothing firms once sent auditors to Xinjiang to check forced labour was not in their supply lines. But the authorities started treating them as suspects and they pulled out.
The mapping of China’s “re-education” camps only began in 2018, Rahima Mahmut says. Whether with forced labour or the overthrow of the rule of law in Hong Kong, the tyrannical turn in Chinese policy is taking time to sink in.
Source: The Guardian #Dec05
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/dec/05/slavery-will-never-be-history-turn-blind-eye-to-china?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
#Xinjiang #Uyghur #ForcedLabour #ChineseCotton #Cotton #Slavery
the Guardian
Slavery will never be history as long as we turn a blind eye to China | Nick Cohen
Consumers don’t want to know their stuff is made by forced Uighur labour
The US Bans Cotton Imports from Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps for Involvements of Uyghur Forced Labour
The US put pressure on China for its human rights issues in Xinjiang again on Wednesday (Dec 3) local time. The US was to ban the import of cotton products from the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) and has accused the corps for subjecting imprisoned Uyghurs to forced labour.
The US Customs and Border Protection announced the new arrangements for the withhold release order to ban cotton and cotton products from XPCC. Reuters reported that the Trump administration was seeking to consolidate its harsh stance against China in the final few weeks of Trump’s presidential term, to make it harder for President-elect Biden to resolve the tense relationship between the two nations.
The withhold release order allows the authority to confiscate products allegedly produced by forced labour, in order to tackle human rights abuses. The US considered a total ban on cotton and tomato products imported from Xinjiang, but the ban was opposed by US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, and the Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, and was hence changed to a ban on imports from designated enterprises.
#US #China #Xinjiang #ForcedLabour #XPCC #XinjiangProductionandConstructionCorps #Trump #Uyghurs #Uighurs #Cotton #Tomato #Reuters
Source: Stand News #Dec03
https://bit.ly/38j2xOQ
The US put pressure on China for its human rights issues in Xinjiang again on Wednesday (Dec 3) local time. The US was to ban the import of cotton products from the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) and has accused the corps for subjecting imprisoned Uyghurs to forced labour.
The US Customs and Border Protection announced the new arrangements for the withhold release order to ban cotton and cotton products from XPCC. Reuters reported that the Trump administration was seeking to consolidate its harsh stance against China in the final few weeks of Trump’s presidential term, to make it harder for President-elect Biden to resolve the tense relationship between the two nations.
The withhold release order allows the authority to confiscate products allegedly produced by forced labour, in order to tackle human rights abuses. The US considered a total ban on cotton and tomato products imported from Xinjiang, but the ban was opposed by US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, and the Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, and was hence changed to a ban on imports from designated enterprises.
#US #China #Xinjiang #ForcedLabour #XPCC #XinjiangProductionandConstructionCorps #Trump #Uyghurs #Uighurs #Cotton #Tomato #Reuters
Source: Stand News #Dec03
https://bit.ly/38j2xOQ
12 Japanese firms will end business deals involving Uighur forced labour
Last year (2020), the Australian Strategic Policy Institute report identified over 80 global companies “directly or indirectly benefiting from the use of Uighur workers outside Xinjiang through abusive labou\r transfer program.” And it mentioned 14 Japanese companies.
12 Japanese companies, including Sony Corp., Hitachi Ltd., and Fast Retailing Co., an operator of Uniqlo, responded to cease or consider ceasing business with business partners found to be using forced labour.
As many foreign companies rely on self-reporting of the human rights situation by the firms themselves, they are faced with the challenge of grasping the situation beyond direct business partners.
Source: The Japan Times #Feb22
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/02/22/business/corporate-business/uighurs-japan-companies/ #uk
#Japan #ASPI #ForcedLabour #Xinjiang #ChinaHostageDiplomacy
Last year (2020), the Australian Strategic Policy Institute report identified over 80 global companies “directly or indirectly benefiting from the use of Uighur workers outside Xinjiang through abusive labou\r transfer program.” And it mentioned 14 Japanese companies.
12 Japanese companies, including Sony Corp., Hitachi Ltd., and Fast Retailing Co., an operator of Uniqlo, responded to cease or consider ceasing business with business partners found to be using forced labour.
As many foreign companies rely on self-reporting of the human rights situation by the firms themselves, they are faced with the challenge of grasping the situation beyond direct business partners.
Source: The Japan Times #Feb22
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/02/22/business/corporate-business/uighurs-japan-companies/ #uk
#Japan #ASPI #ForcedLabour #Xinjiang #ChinaHostageDiplomacy
Old H&M comment on 'forced labour' in China's Xinjiang raises online storm
At least one Chinese online retailer appeared to drop H&M’s products amid social media attacks on the Swedish company for saying it was “deeply concerned” about reports of forced labour in the farwestern region of Xinjiang. A graphic in a commentary from the official CCTV that slammed the company for its stance said that “H&M you are no longer at all fashionable”. Some people on Weibo called for H&M to leave China and for a boycott.
H&M’s official store on Alibaba’s Tmall, an e-commerce platform, was not accessible on Mar 24. The official People’s Daily reported that searches for H&M products on platforms JD.com and Pinduoduo no longer showed any results.
China is H&M’s fourth-biggest market with sales of 9.75 billion Swedish crowns ($1.13 billion) in the 12 months through November 2020.
Source: Reuters #Mar24
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-xinjiang-cotton/old-hm-comment-on-forced-labour-in-chinas-xinjiang-raises-online-storm-idUSKBN2BG1G4
#China #HM #Xinjiang #ForcedLabour #XinjiangCotton
At least one Chinese online retailer appeared to drop H&M’s products amid social media attacks on the Swedish company for saying it was “deeply concerned” about reports of forced labour in the farwestern region of Xinjiang. A graphic in a commentary from the official CCTV that slammed the company for its stance said that “H&M you are no longer at all fashionable”. Some people on Weibo called for H&M to leave China and for a boycott.
H&M’s official store on Alibaba’s Tmall, an e-commerce platform, was not accessible on Mar 24. The official People’s Daily reported that searches for H&M products on platforms JD.com and Pinduoduo no longer showed any results.
China is H&M’s fourth-biggest market with sales of 9.75 billion Swedish crowns ($1.13 billion) in the 12 months through November 2020.
Source: Reuters #Mar24
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-xinjiang-cotton/old-hm-comment-on-forced-labour-in-chinas-xinjiang-raises-online-storm-idUSKBN2BG1G4
#China #HM #Xinjiang #ForcedLabour #XinjiangCotton
U.S.
Old H&M comment on 'forced labour' in China's Xinjiang raises online storm
(This March 24 story corrects China turnover in paragraph 8)
#MisInformation
China Misuses Photo of US Prisoners to Attack International #Boycott over #XinjiangCotton
China’s state media and Chinese netizens have been attacking multiple global fashion brands, which have decided to stop buying cotton from Xinjiang after concerns over reportedly forced labour in the industry.
In a press meeting on Mar 25, 2021, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Hua Chunying, displayed a photo showing what she claimed to be “forced labour in America picking cotton”.
It was later discovered that the workers in the photo, taken at a cotton field in Texas in 1968, were prisoners. The intention of the shot, however, seemed to be more about concerns on the correctional system and racial discrimination in the US than “forced labour” as described by Hua.
Source: Stand News #Mar25
https://bit.ly/3rxFyHw
#Xinjiang #ConcentrationCamp #ForcedLabour #HuaChunying #US #China #ChineseNetizens
China Misuses Photo of US Prisoners to Attack International #Boycott over #XinjiangCotton
China’s state media and Chinese netizens have been attacking multiple global fashion brands, which have decided to stop buying cotton from Xinjiang after concerns over reportedly forced labour in the industry.
In a press meeting on Mar 25, 2021, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Hua Chunying, displayed a photo showing what she claimed to be “forced labour in America picking cotton”.
It was later discovered that the workers in the photo, taken at a cotton field in Texas in 1968, were prisoners. The intention of the shot, however, seemed to be more about concerns on the correctional system and racial discrimination in the US than “forced labour” as described by Hua.
Source: Stand News #Mar25
https://bit.ly/3rxFyHw
#Xinjiang #ConcentrationCamp #ForcedLabour #HuaChunying #US #China #ChineseNetizens
#Misrepresentation #ChineseSocialMedia
#ASICS Japan and #HugoBoss Denounce Pro-China Statement Purportedly Posted by their China Branch on #Weibo
Since March 25, 2021, Chinese state media and netizens have been attacking multiple international apparel brands for previously vowing to not use #XinjiangCotton, due to human rights concerns.
The discontented Chinese netizens have initiated a series of boycotts, forcing public figures from celebrities to sport teams to cut ties with the brands which have voiced concern over forced labour issues and human rights breaches committed by the PRC in Xinjiang.
Whereas Hugo Boss's Weibo account claimed that "Xinjiang cotton was one of the best cotton in the world"; its head office clarified that the statement was unauthorised, alluding to a misappropriation committed by the China's branch.
Meanwhile, a similar incident happened to ASICS, a Japanese sports shoe brand.
Like Hugo Boss, the Weibo account of ASICS posted a pro-China message that read "our brand firmly opposes all actions of discrediting or spreading rumour of China"; however, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the headquarters of ASICS at Kobe in Japan denounced the statement.
According to ASICS Japan, the statement on the Chinese social media platform Weibo was published without the head office's permission and does not reflect to the company's official stance.
ASICS reiterates that their supply for the Australian Olympics team does not contain any Xinjiang cotton and was not manufactured in Xinjiang.
The pro-China statement has been removed from Weibo on the morning of March 29, 2021. Meanwhile, Chinese actor Li Yifeng suspend his contract with the brand after ASICS clarifies their stance.
Source: Apple Daily #Mar29
https://hk.appledaily.com/entertainment/20210329/7TQGGBTT4ZGUHBHW5GOCHVFABI/
#Japan #China #XinjiangCotton #ForcedLabour #LiYifeng
#ASICS Japan and #HugoBoss Denounce Pro-China Statement Purportedly Posted by their China Branch on #Weibo
Since March 25, 2021, Chinese state media and netizens have been attacking multiple international apparel brands for previously vowing to not use #XinjiangCotton, due to human rights concerns.
The discontented Chinese netizens have initiated a series of boycotts, forcing public figures from celebrities to sport teams to cut ties with the brands which have voiced concern over forced labour issues and human rights breaches committed by the PRC in Xinjiang.
Whereas Hugo Boss's Weibo account claimed that "Xinjiang cotton was one of the best cotton in the world"; its head office clarified that the statement was unauthorised, alluding to a misappropriation committed by the China's branch.
Meanwhile, a similar incident happened to ASICS, a Japanese sports shoe brand.
Like Hugo Boss, the Weibo account of ASICS posted a pro-China message that read "our brand firmly opposes all actions of discrediting or spreading rumour of China"; however, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the headquarters of ASICS at Kobe in Japan denounced the statement.
According to ASICS Japan, the statement on the Chinese social media platform Weibo was published without the head office's permission and does not reflect to the company's official stance.
ASICS reiterates that their supply for the Australian Olympics team does not contain any Xinjiang cotton and was not manufactured in Xinjiang.
The pro-China statement has been removed from Weibo on the morning of March 29, 2021. Meanwhile, Chinese actor Li Yifeng suspend his contract with the brand after ASICS clarifies their stance.
Source: Apple Daily #Mar29
https://hk.appledaily.com/entertainment/20210329/7TQGGBTT4ZGUHBHW5GOCHVFABI/
#Japan #China #XinjiangCotton #ForcedLabour #LiYifeng
S&Ds make lifting of Chinese sanctions against Euro-MPs condition for Parliament to enter any talks on EU-China investment deal
The Socialists and Democrats condemn the Chinese counter-measure targeting ten Europeans, among them S&D MEP Raphaël Glucksmann
Kathleen van Brempt, S&D MEP and spokesperson on trade, said, “We stand in solidarity with our colleague Raphaël Glucksmann and 9 other Europeans, who were today targeted by the Chinese government with retaliatory measures.”
Inmaculada RodrĂguez-Piñero, S&D MEP and responsible for the China Investment Agreement, said that Europe shouldn’t sacrifice their value and standard for trading with China and China must commit to a roadmap on the implementation of International Labour Organisation conventions against forced labour, and on improving the human rights situation in the country.
Source: S&D #Mar22
https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/newsroom/sds-make-lifting-chinese-sanctions-against-euro-mps-condition-parliament-enter-any-talks
#China #ForcedLabour #ChinaSanctionRetaiate #ChinaEUDeal
The Socialists and Democrats condemn the Chinese counter-measure targeting ten Europeans, among them S&D MEP Raphaël Glucksmann
Kathleen van Brempt, S&D MEP and spokesperson on trade, said, “We stand in solidarity with our colleague Raphaël Glucksmann and 9 other Europeans, who were today targeted by the Chinese government with retaliatory measures.”
Inmaculada RodrĂguez-Piñero, S&D MEP and responsible for the China Investment Agreement, said that Europe shouldn’t sacrifice their value and standard for trading with China and China must commit to a roadmap on the implementation of International Labour Organisation conventions against forced labour, and on improving the human rights situation in the country.
Source: S&D #Mar22
https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/newsroom/sds-make-lifting-chinese-sanctions-against-euro-mps-condition-parliament-enter-any-talks
#China #ForcedLabour #ChinaSanctionRetaiate #ChinaEUDeal
Socialists & Democrats
S&Ds make lifting of Chinese sanctions against Euro-MPs condition for Parliament to enter any talks on EU-China investment deal…
The Socialists and Democrats condemn the Chinese counter-measure targeting ten Europeans, among them S&D MEP Raphaël Glucksmann.
Revealed in Purchasing Uniforms from Xinjiang Cotton Enterprises; International Olympics Committee: Politically neutral, No right to Change the Sovereignty State System
Xinjiang cotton was accused of being involved in forced labour and was suspended by several international fashion brands. US media AXIOS discovered that the International Olympics Committee purchased uniforms from a Chinese enterprise Hengyuanxiang, but Hengyuanxiang always labels their products are made by Xinjiang cotton. International Olympics Committee responded that they had no right to change the political system in the sovereign country due to their political neutrality. Hengyuanxiang submitted a certificate to the International Olympics Committee, proving the uniforms' cotton is not from China.
According to AXIOS, International Olympics Committee signed a contract with Hengyuanxiang in September 2019. Hengyuanxiang will supply the uniforms to the International Olympics Committee members at the ceremonies at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
The report described that the International Olympics Committee had a close relationship with Hengyuanxiang, who sponsored the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Lots of products in the online shops of Hengyuanxiang in TaoBao and Jindong are also using “Xinjiang cotton” for soliciting. According to the website information, Hengyuanxiang is responsible to supervise multiple outsourcing factories, and one of them is from Xinjiang.
Source: Stand News #Apr07
https://bit.ly/3fVnkxv
#Xinjiang #InternationalOlympicsCommittee #Hengyuanxiang #ForcedLabour #Politics #China #Beijing #Tokyo #Olympics
Xinjiang cotton was accused of being involved in forced labour and was suspended by several international fashion brands. US media AXIOS discovered that the International Olympics Committee purchased uniforms from a Chinese enterprise Hengyuanxiang, but Hengyuanxiang always labels their products are made by Xinjiang cotton. International Olympics Committee responded that they had no right to change the political system in the sovereign country due to their political neutrality. Hengyuanxiang submitted a certificate to the International Olympics Committee, proving the uniforms' cotton is not from China.
According to AXIOS, International Olympics Committee signed a contract with Hengyuanxiang in September 2019. Hengyuanxiang will supply the uniforms to the International Olympics Committee members at the ceremonies at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
The report described that the International Olympics Committee had a close relationship with Hengyuanxiang, who sponsored the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Lots of products in the online shops of Hengyuanxiang in TaoBao and Jindong are also using “Xinjiang cotton” for soliciting. According to the website information, Hengyuanxiang is responsible to supervise multiple outsourcing factories, and one of them is from Xinjiang.
Source: Stand News #Apr07
https://bit.ly/3fVnkxv
#Xinjiang #InternationalOlympicsCommittee #Hengyuanxiang #ForcedLabour #Politics #China #Beijing #Tokyo #Olympics