US curbs on Xinjiang 'have no credibility'

Sanctions move will hurt Washington's own interests, says Foreign Ministry

China on Friday declared that it deplores and opposes the United States approving legislation that bans imports from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region due to so-called concerns over "forced labor", and called on Washington to stop using related issues to contain China's development.

The so-called "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act" also imposes sanctions on individuals responsible for "forced labor" in the region. It marks Washington's latest attempt to use Xinjiang-related issues to interfere in China's internal affairs.

The act maliciously denigrates the human rights situation in Xinjiang in disregard of facts and truth, which violates international law and the basic norms governing international relations, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

The so-called allegations of "forced labor" and "genocide" in Xinjiang are nothing but vicious lies concocted by anti-China forces, the spokesperson said.

It is preposterous for the US, a country with a deplorable track record, to accuse and smear China, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson reiterated that Xinjiang-related issues are not human rights issues at all, but in essence are about countering violent terrorism and separatism.

The US' acts totally violate market principles and commercial ethics, and such moves will only undermine global industrial and supply chains, disrupt international trade order and hurt the US' own interests and credibility, the spokesperson said.

The Chinese government and the Chinese people are firmly resolved to safeguard their national sovereignty, security and development interests, the spokesperson added.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress, China will take resolute countermeasures if the US is determined to go down the wrong path.

Labor and employment policies and practices in Xinjiang comply with China's Constitution and laws, as well as international labor and human rights standards, and there is no such thing as "forced labor", the statement said.

Xinjiang enjoys political stability and economic development, and people there live a happy life, all of which is obvious to the international community, said a statement by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee.

Crafting conspiracies and plots with Xinjiang-related issues will not stop the pursuit of a better life by people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang or hold back China's development, the statement said.

In the name of "human rights", the US resorts to unilateralism, protectionism and bullying to undermine market principles and violate World Trade Organization rules, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.

Such practices harm the interests of businesses and consumers in both countries, and undermine the stability of global industrial and supply chains and world economic recovery, the statement said.

The ministry urged Washington to immediately revoke various sanctions and oppressive measures against Xinjiang, the statement added.

The regional government and the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region also issued statements condemning the bill.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told Friday's news conference that the US move of fabricating lies to hype up Xinjiang-related issues and promoting this egregious legislation aims to oppress Xinjiang companies and deprive Xinjiang people of the right to prosper through hard work.

The US' moves are in essence to undermine stability and prosperity in Xinjiang and contain China's development, Zhao said.

"The US attempt is in disproportion to its status as a major country and has no credibility or ethics at all," he said, adding that such practices will never succeed.

The legislation will provide a "legal basis" for and embolden the US to take further steps to impose sanctions and take other provocative measures against China on Xinjiang-related issues, said Jia Chunyang, assistant researcher of US studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

The US aims to bring chaos to Xinjiang, he said, adding that its move will also have a negative effect on US companies doing business with China.

It also aims to exclude China from the global industrial chain under the pretext of "opposing forced labor", Jia said.