China textile industry condemns US signing of 'Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act'

The China National Textile and Apparel Council firmly opposed the United States' signing into law the so-called Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, it said in a statement on Saturday.

China's textile industry fully agrees with the relevant positions of the Chinese government. In March this year and in 2020, the council released statements condemning the relevant movement of the US and the actions of some international brands of excluding the use of cotton produced in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

The latest signing of the act tries to impose the label of "forced labor" on all commodities produced in Xinjiang in the way of "presumption of guilt." It sets a bad and dangerous precedent in international economic and trade rules, the council said.

The US' measures of banning imports from Xinjiang and issuing malicious threats against multinational companies' independent procurement of Xinjiang products violates fair and reasonable market economy and free trade rules. In essence, it is a bullying behavior that seriously violates the basic human rights of people in Xinjiang, and interferes and destroys international supply chains, the statement said.

The cotton produced in Xinjiang is recognized as a high-quality natural fiber raw material, and it meets the rigid consumption demand for cotton textiles and clothing globally, the statement said.

In the past few years, the cotton planting and production in Xinjiang has remained stable, and the local textile and garment industry has developed rapidly, which has played an important role in promoting regional economic development. This year, the total cotton output in Xinjiang reached 5.13 million metric tons, accounting for about 20 percent of the total cotton output globally, the council said.

As the representative of the collective interests of China's textile and garment industry, the council and 12 industry associations in the textile industry chain promise that they will continue to firmly support the planting and production of cotton in Xinjiang. They will also support the trade and consumption of Xinjiang cotton at home and abroad and fully support the prosperity and development of Xinjiang's textile and garment industry.

The council said it believes that justice is in the hearts of people. China's textile industry will work closely with global partners to eliminate interference and fully ensure the normal operation of the international textile and garment industry chain supply chain.