US urged not to obstruct normal trade

Ministry calls using excuses invented about Xinjiang 'blatant hegemonic act'

China urged the United States on Tuesday to stop disrupting normal economic and trade cooperation between the two countries' companies under the pretext of issues related to the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, saying that it will take all necessary measures to protect its companies' legitimate rights and interests.

The US Department of Homeland Security announced on Monday new restrictions on imports of cotton, apparel, hair products and technology goods from certain Chinese companies, claiming that those entities had used forced labor in Xinjiang to make their products.

"Using the so-called forced labor issue as an excuse to put restrictions on related Chinese companies, the US side violates rules of international trade and disrupts global industrial, supply and value chains," Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular news briefing in Beijing. "It is a blatant hegemonic act and China firmly opposes it."

Wang said the hypocritical faces and sinister intentions of some people in the US who hope to curb Xinjiang's development and progress and create ethnic division were fully exposed.

He said that the so-called forced labor issue is entirely fabricated by some organizations and people in the US and the West and seriously conflicts with the facts.

The rights and interests of workers from ethnic minorities in Xinjiang as part of China's large workforce are protected by law, Wang said, adding that there is no restriction whatsoever on their personal freedom.

Their customs, religious beliefs and spoken and written language are all protected by law, he added.

"We urge the US side to respect facts, lay down its prejudice and stop playing political manipulation," Wang said.

At the briefing, the spokesman also said that China has agreed with the wishes of diplomatic envoys from the European Union and its member states to visit Xinjiang and is willing to make arrangements, but investigations based on the assumption of guilt are opposed.

"We always welcome friends from all countries, including those of the EU side, to visit Xinjiang and to see for themselves what is really going on there instead of believing in hearsay or even fabricated lies," Wang said.