Newly leaked photos and official documents from Xinjiang has shed new light on the extent of alleged abuses against the Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in China.

New leaked reports on Uighurs in China shocks the world

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet begins a visit to China on Monday, the first trip by a holder of the office since 2005.

UN Human Rights chief begins historic 6-day visit to China

The United States has slammed the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet for failing to stand up for Xinjiang's Uyghur community.

In what will be the first UN High Commissioner for Human Rights trip there since 2005, Bachelet is going to visit the controversial Chinese region from May 23 to 28 at the invitation of Beijing.

Criticising Bachelet for "silence" in the face of what it said were atrocities in China's western Xinjiang region, the US State Department said that Washington "no expectation that the PRC (People's Republic of China) will grant the necessary access required to conduct a complete, unmanipulated assessment of the human rights environment in Xinjiang."

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-china-cornered-on-xinjiang-384851/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Ned Price, the spokesman of the US State Department, said "We're deeply concerned about the upcoming visit," and added that "Despite frequent assurances by Bachelet's office that the report would be released in short order, it remains unavailable to us."&nbsp;

"The High Commissioner's continued silence in the face of indisputable evidence of atrocities in Xinjiang and other human rights violations and abuses throughout the PRC - it is deeply concerning, particularly as she is and should be the leading ... voice on human rights," he said.

A similar statement was reiterated by the Human Rights Watch which raised fears that the Chinese Communist Party will "manipulate the visit as a public relations stunt."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/leaked-database-shows-thousands-of-uyghurs-held-in-detention-by-china-479843">Also read |&nbsp;Leaked database shows thousands of Uyghurs held in detention by China</a>

Sophie Richardson, the China director of Human Rights Watch, said that Bachelet's "friendly visit defies credibility that the Chinese government will allow the high commissioner to see anything they don't want her to see, or allow human rights defenders, victims and their families to speak to her safely, unsupervised and without fear of reprisal."&nbsp;

According to a statement issued by Bachelet's office, she will meet "a number of high-level officials at the national and local levels", and "also deliver a lecture to students at Guangzhou University."&nbsp;

In 2018, when Bachelet took office, she demanded "meaningful and unfettered" access to far-western Xinjiang saying at least one million mostly Muslim people have been incarcerated in "re-education camps" in a bid to forcibly integrate them into China's Han majority.

Calling them the "lie of the century", China has vociferously denied Western allegations of forced labor and genocide against Uyghurs.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Watch WION's live TV here:

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

The United States has slammed the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet for failing to stand up for Xinjiang's Uyghur community. In what will be the first UN High Commissioner for Human Rights trip there since 2005, Bachelet is going to visit the controversial Chinese region from May 23 to 28 at the invitation of Beijing.

The United States has slammed the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet for failing to stand up for Xinjiang's Uyghur community. In what will be the first UN High Commissioner for Human Rights trip there since 2005, Bachelet is going to visit the controversial Chinese region from May 23 to 28 at the invitation of Beijing. Criticising Bachelet for "silence" in the face of what it said were atrocities in China's western Xinjiang region, the US State Department said that Washington "no expectation that the PRC (People's Republic of China) will grant the necessary access required to conduct a complete, unmanipulated assessment of the human rights environment in Xinjiang." Ned Price, the spokesman of the US State Department, said "We're deeply concerned about the upcoming visit," and added that "Despite frequent assurances by Bachelet's office that the report would be released in short order, it remains unavailable to us." "The High Commissioner's continued silence in the face of indisputable evidence of atrocities in Xinjiang and other human rights violations and abuses throughout the PRC - it is deeply concerning, particularly as she is and should be the leading ... voice on human rights," he said. A similar statement was reiterated by the Human Rights Watch which raised fears that the Chinese Communist Party will "manipulate the visit as a public relations stunt." Also read | Leaked database shows thousands of Uyghurs held in detention by China Sophie Richardson, the China director of Human Rights Watch, said that Bachelet's "friendly visit defies credibility that the Chinese government will allow the high commissioner to see anything they don't want her to see, or allow human rights defenders, victims and their families to speak to her safely, unsupervised and without fear of reprisal." According to a statement issued by Bachelet's office, she will meet "a number of high-level officials at the national and local levels", and "also deliver a lecture to students at Guangzhou University." In 2018, when Bachelet took office, she demanded "meaningful and unfettered" access to far-western Xinjiang saying at least one million mostly Muslim people have been incarcerated in "re-education camps" in a bid to forcibly integrate them into China's Han majority. Calling them the "lie of the century", China has vociferously denied Western allegations of forced labor and genocide against Uyghurs. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here:

US slams UN rights chief for failing to stand up for Xinjiang's Uyghur community

The&nbsp;UN&nbsp;rights&nbsp;chief&nbsp;will&nbsp;begin&nbsp;her long-anticipated&nbsp;visit&nbsp;to&nbsp;China&nbsp;on&nbsp;Monday, her office said,&nbsp;including&nbsp;to the&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;region where authorities stand accused of widespread violations.

After years of requesting "meaningful and unfettered" access to&nbsp;China's far-western&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;region, Michelle Bachelet will finally be heading there next week.

The&nbsp;UN&nbsp;High Commissioner for&nbsp;Human Rights&nbsp;"on&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;begins a six-day official mission to&nbsp;China, at the invitation of the government," her office said in a statement Friday.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-agency-chief-resigns-after-probe-into-its-investments-477511">&nbsp;UN agency chief resigns after probe into its investments</a>

It is the first trip to&nbsp;China&nbsp;by a&nbsp;UN&nbsp;rights&nbsp;chief&nbsp;since 2005 and Bachelet will meet "a number of high-level officials at the national and local levels".

"The high commissioner will also meet with civil society organisations, business representatives, academics, and deliver a lecture to students at Guangzhou University," the statement added.

An advance team was sent to&nbsp;China&nbsp;several weeks ago to prepare the&nbsp;visit, and has completed a lengthy quarantine in the country, currently in the grip of fresh Covid outbreaks.

Bachelet, who will not need to quarantine, is not travelling to Beijing due to Covid restrictions, her office said this week.

Watch |&nbsp;Global food security crisis: UN holds special meet, warns that food crisis could last decades

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/global-food-security-crisis-un-holds-special-meet-warns-that-food-crisis-could-last-decades-480281/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

But she will go to Kashgar and Urumqi in&nbsp;Xinjiang, it said.&nbsp;

She wraps up the mission on May 28 with a press conference at an as-yet undisclosed location and issue a statement.

There have long been calls for Bachelet to&nbsp;visit&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;and to publish her office's findings on the situation there.

The US government and lawmakers in a number of other Western countries have labelled&nbsp;China's treatment of the Uyghur minority in&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;"genocide" -- a charge Beijing vehemently denies.

Rights&nbsp;groups say at least one million mostly Muslim minorities have been incarcerated in "re-education camps" in the region, and face widespread abuses,&nbsp;including&nbsp;forced sterilisation and forced labour.

China&nbsp;says&nbsp;it is running vocational training centres in the region designed to counter extremism.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-rockets-strike-kyiv-during-un-chief-antonio-guterres-visit-474784">Russian rockets strike Kyiv during UN chief Antonio Guterres' visit</a>

In March, the&nbsp;UN&nbsp;rights&nbsp;office announced an agreement had finally been reached on arranging a&nbsp;visit, although it still remains unclear when Bachelet's team will release its long-delayed report on the situation.

Rights&nbsp;groups, diplomats and others have voiced concern &nbsp;Beijing will manipulate her&nbsp;visit&nbsp;and have stepped up &nbsp;demands for the report's publication.

But a spokeswoman for Bachelet said Tuesday it would not be released before her trip, and that there was no clear timing for making it public.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

The UN rights chief will begin her long-anticipated visit to China on Monday, her office said, including to the Xinjiang region where authorities stand accused of widespread violations.

The UN rights chief will begin her long-anticipated visit to China on Monday, her office said, including to the Xinjiang region where authorities stand accused of widespread violations. After years of requesting "meaningful and unfettered" access to China's far-western Xinjiang region, Michelle Bachelet will finally be heading there next week. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights "on Monday begins a six-day official mission to China, at the invitation of the government," her office said in a statement Friday. Also read | UN agency chief resigns after probe into its investments It is the first trip to China by a UN rights chief since 2005 and Bachelet will meet "a number of high-level officials at the national and local levels". "The high commissioner will also meet with civil society organisations, business representatives, academics, and deliver a lecture to students at Guangzhou University," the statement added. An advance team was sent to China several weeks ago to prepare the visit, and has completed a lengthy quarantine in the country, currently in the grip of fresh Covid outbreaks. Bachelet, who will not need to quarantine, is not travelling to Beijing due to Covid restrictions, her office said this week. Watch | Global food security crisis: UN holds special meet, warns that food crisis could last decades But she will go to Kashgar and Urumqi in Xinjiang, it said. She wraps up the mission on May 28 with a press conference at an as-yet undisclosed location and issue a statement. There have long been calls for Bachelet to visit Xinjiang and to publish her office's findings on the situation there. The US government and lawmakers in a number of other Western countries have labelled China's treatment of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang "genocide" -- a charge Beijing vehemently denies. Rights groups say at least one million mostly Muslim minorities have been incarcerated in "re-education camps" in the region, and face widespread abuses, including forced sterilisation and forced labour. China says it is running vocational training centres in the region designed to counter extremism. Also read | Russian rockets strike Kyiv during UN chief Antonio Guterres' visit In March, the UN rights office announced an agreement had finally been reached on arranging a visit, although it still remains unclear when Bachelet's team will release its long-delayed report on the situation. Rights groups, diplomats and others have voiced concern Beijing will manipulate her visit and have stepped up demands for the report's publication. But a spokeswoman for Bachelet said Tuesday it would not be released before her trip, and that there was no clear timing for making it public. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

UN rights chief to visit China from Monday, including Xinjiang

More than 10,000 Uyghurs have been imprisoned in the Xinjiang region of China as per a leaked list from China's previously unreported database that has been seen by the news agency AFP.

The controversial region, which is closely guarded by China's Communist authorities, has a secretive network of detention centres and prisons according to researchers who believe that over one million Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim minorities are being held there.

The leaked list, which contains details about each prisoner's name, birth date, ethnicity, ID number, charge, address, sentence length, and prison, sheds light on the whereabouts of missing members of several families.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/un-report-chinas-labour-policies-in-xinjiang-are-discriminatory-452596/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

It shows data from 2014 to 2018 during which the number of people sentenced by Xinjiang courts, for broad charges including "gathering a group to disrupt social order", "promoting extremism" and "picking quarrels and provoking trouble", soared from around 21,000 to over 133,000.

Although the West has repeatedly slammed China's treatment of the Uyghurs as genocide, Beijing has defended itself by calling the camps as "vocational training centres."

To probe China's alleged abuses, UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet is going to visit Xinjiang this month.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/researchers-find-traces-of-xinjiangs-cotton-in-tops-brands-such-as-adidas-puma-and-hugo-boss-476732">Also read |&nbsp;Researchers find traces of Xinjiang's cotton in top brands such as Adidas, Puma and Hugo Boss</a>

In 2017, China had ramped up its ideological campaign called "Strike Hard" against Islamic extremism.

With the proportion of prison sentences of over five years nearly tripled from the year before, most cases were handed down in closed-door trials.

According to David Tobin, lecturer in East Asian Studies at the University of Sheffield in Britain, "This is not clearly-targeted anti-terrorism."

"It's going to every door and taking a number of people away. It really shows they're arbitrarily targeting a community and dispersing it across a region," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)

Watch WION's live TV here:

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

More than 10,000 Uyghurs have been imprisoned in the Xinjiang region of China as per a leaked list from China's previously unreported database that has been seen by the news agency AFP.

More than 10,000 Uyghurs have been imprisoned in the Xinjiang region of China as per a leaked list from China's previously unreported database that has been seen by the news agency AFP. The controversial region, which is closely guarded by China's Communist authorities, has a secretive network of detention centres and prisons according to researchers who believe that over one million Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim minorities are being held there. The leaked list, which contains details about each prisoner's name, birth date, ethnicity, ID number, charge, address, sentence length, and prison, sheds light on the whereabouts of missing members of several families. It shows data from 2014 to 2018 during which the number of people sentenced by Xinjiang courts, for broad charges including "gathering a group to disrupt social order", "promoting extremism" and "picking quarrels and provoking trouble", soared from around 21,000 to over 133,000. Although the West has repeatedly slammed China's treatment of the Uyghurs as genocide, Beijing has defended itself by calling the camps as "vocational training centres." To probe China's alleged abuses, UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet is going to visit Xinjiang this month. Also read | Researchers find traces of Xinjiang's cotton in top brands such as Adidas, Puma and Hugo Boss In 2017, China had ramped up its ideological campaign called "Strike Hard" against Islamic extremism. With the proportion of prison sentences of over five years nearly tripled from the year before, most cases were handed down in closed-door trials. According to David Tobin, lecturer in East Asian Studies at the University of Sheffield in Britain, "This is not clearly-targeted anti-terrorism." "It's going to every door and taking a number of people away. It really shows they're arbitrarily targeting a community and dispersing it across a region," he added. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here:

Leaked list from China's previously unreported database shows over 10,000 Uyghurs imprisoned in Xinjiang

Traces of Xinjiang's cotton have been found by researchers in top brands such as Adidas, Puma, and Hugo Boss.

Scientists at the Agroisolab and Hochschule Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences tested shirts made by Hugo Boss and t-shirts made by Adidas and Puma and performed an isotopic analysis on them.

Markus Boner of Agroisolab told the German public broadcaster NDR’s investigative programme, “The isotopic fingerprints in the cotton are unambiguous and can be differentiated from cotton sourced from other countries and even other Chinese regions.”&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-china-spills-xinjiang-beans-367795/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

During the process of isotopic analysis, the geographic origin of organic or non-organic substances is traced.

Denying the accusation, Puma said ''we strongly insist on the fact and reconfirm that Puma does not source any cotton from the Xinjiang region. We do reiterate that we do not have any relations – direct or indirect - with any cotton supplier in the Xinjiang region.''

“Based on all the information we obtained through our investigations, and the traceability controls we put in place in our supply chain, we are confident that we do not source cotton from the Xinjiang region.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uyghur-genocide-un-team-arrives-in-china-ahead-of-visit-by-human-rights-chief-474000">Also read |&nbsp;Uyghur genocide: UN team arrives in China ahead of visit by human rights chief</a>

Meanwhile, Addidas said it “sources cotton exclusively from other countries and takes a variety of measures to ensure fair and safe working conditions in its supply chain”.

It comes after German clothing companies vowed to change their supply chain policies owing to accusations of concentration camps and forced labour in the Chinese region.

China rejects accusations of abuse in Xinjiang, describing the camps as vocational centres designed to combat extremism.

Cotton imports from the Xinjiang region were banned by the United States after the UN said that 1 million Uyghurs have been held in mass detention.

(With inputs from agencies)

Watch WION's live TV here:

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

Decode the geostrategy, diplomacy, and ideologies of the world’s unending wars. Catch our special series ‘World at War’ every Saturday at 8:30 PM IST and Sunday at 10:30 PM IST only on WION. 
&nbsp;

Traces of Xinjiang's cotton have been found by researchers in top brands such as Adidas, Puma, and Hugo Boss. Scientists at the Agroisolab and Hochschule Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences tested shirts made by Hugo Boss and t-shirts made by Adidas and Puma and performed an isotopic analysis on them.

Traces of Xinjiang's cotton have been found by researchers in top brands such as Adidas, Puma, and Hugo Boss. Scientists at the Agroisolab and Hochschule Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences tested shirts made by Hugo Boss and t-shirts made by Adidas and Puma and performed an isotopic analysis on them. Markus Boner of Agroisolab told the German public broadcaster NDR’s investigative programme, “The isotopic fingerprints in the cotton are unambiguous and can be differentiated from cotton sourced from other countries and even other Chinese regions.” During the process of isotopic analysis, the geographic origin of organic or non-organic substances is traced. Denying the accusation, Puma said ''we strongly insist on the fact and reconfirm that Puma does not source any cotton from the Xinjiang region. We do reiterate that we do not have any relations – direct or indirect - with any cotton supplier in the Xinjiang region.'' “Based on all the information we obtained through our investigations, and the traceability controls we put in place in our supply chain, we are confident that we do not source cotton from the Xinjiang region.” Also read | Uyghur genocide: UN team arrives in China ahead of visit by human rights chief Meanwhile, Addidas said it “sources cotton exclusively from other countries and takes a variety of measures to ensure fair and safe working conditions in its supply chain”. It comes after German clothing companies vowed to change their supply chain policies owing to accusations of concentration camps and forced labour in the Chinese region. China rejects accusations of abuse in Xinjiang, describing the camps as vocational centres designed to combat extremism. Cotton imports from the Xinjiang region were banned by the United States after the UN said that 1 million Uyghurs have been held in mass detention. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here: Decode the geostrategy, diplomacy, and ideologies of the world’s unending wars. Catch our special series ‘World at War’ every Saturday at 8:30 PM IST and Sunday at 10:30 PM IST only on WION.

Researchers find traces of Xinjiang's cotton in top brands such as Adidas, Puma and Hugo Boss

A report by research group Tech Transparency Project has revealed that Amazon's business is deeply interlinked with China and its suppliers have been linked to forced labour in the Xinjiang region. As per the group, Amazon's supplier list includes firms accused of using Uyghur labourers, reported Louise Matsakis, a tech investigator for NBC news.&nbsp;

It identified three Amazon suppliers linked to forced labour in China directly, including, Luxshare precision industry, AcBel polytech and lens technology.

"The findings raise questions about Amazon's exposure to China's repression of minority Uyghurs in Xinjiang — and the extent to which the e-commerce giant is adequately vetting its supplier relationships," the report read.&nbsp;

It further warned that some of the third-party sellers of Amazon may be offering products that are made using labour from the western Chinese region of Xinjiang. This includes cotton imports that are already subjected to US sanctions, said Matsakis. 
Amazon, however, has declined to comment on the same.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-crisis-china-accuses-nato-of-pushing-russia-to-breaking-point-460521">Also read |&nbsp;Ukraine crisis: China accuses NATO of pushing Russia to 'breaking point'</a>

In a general statement, Erika Reynoso, a spokesperson for the company, said: "Amazon complies with the laws and regulations in all jurisdictions in which it operates, and expects suppliers to adhere to our Supply Chain Standards. We take allegations of human rights abuses seriously, including those related to the use or export of forced labour. Whenever we find or receive proof of forced labour, we take action."

Meanwhile, China has ordered the closure of nearly 160 organisations that are focused on understanding the traditional Uyghur culture.&nbsp;

The Xinjiang Uyghur self-governing region (XUAR), issued a notice on February 22 that stated that there had been a ”revocation of registration certificate and seals of the legal reps of social organisations”.&nbsp;

The list of 160 organisations being shut down include: the Uyghur classical literature and Muqam Research Association and Dolan farmer paintings’ association, Atlan vocational training school and Intil language school, as well as Miraj vocational training school.

(With inputs from agencies)

A report by research group Tech Transparency Project has revealed that Amazon's business is deeply interlinked with China and its suppliers have been linked to forced labour in the Xinjiang region.

A report by research group Tech Transparency Project has revealed that Amazon's business is deeply interlinked with China and its suppliers have been linked to forced labour in the Xinjiang region. As per the group, Amazon's supplier list includes firms accused of using Uyghur labourers, reported Louise Matsakis, a tech investigator for NBC news. It identified three Amazon suppliers linked to forced labour in China directly, including, Luxshare precision industry, AcBel polytech and lens technology. "The findings raise questions about Amazon's exposure to China's repression of minority Uyghurs in Xinjiang — and the extent to which the e-commerce giant is adequately vetting its supplier relationships," the report read. It further warned that some of the third-party sellers of Amazon may be offering products that are made using labour from the western Chinese region of Xinjiang. This includes cotton imports that are already subjected to US sanctions, said Matsakis. Amazon, however, has declined to comment on the same. Also read | Ukraine crisis: China accuses NATO of pushing Russia to 'breaking point' In a general statement, Erika Reynoso, a spokesperson for the company, said: "Amazon complies with the laws and regulations in all jurisdictions in which it operates, and expects suppliers to adhere to our Supply Chain Standards. We take allegations of human rights abuses seriously, including those related to the use or export of forced labour. Whenever we find or receive proof of forced labour, we take action." Meanwhile, China has ordered the closure of nearly 160 organisations that are focused on understanding the traditional Uyghur culture. The Xinjiang Uyghur self-governing region (XUAR), issued a notice on February 22 that stated that there had been a ”revocation of registration certificate and seals of the legal reps of social organisations”. The list of 160 organisations being shut down include: the Uyghur classical literature and Muqam Research Association and Dolan farmer paintings’ association, Atlan vocational training school and Intil language school, as well as Miraj vocational training school. (With inputs from agencies)

Amazon's suppliers involved in forced labour in Xinjiang: Report

The UN rights chief said Tuesday she would make a long-delayed visit to China in May, including to Xinjiang, where Western lawmakers have accused Beijing of genocide.

"I am pleased to announce that we have recently reached an agreement with the government of China for a visit,"&nbsp;Michelle&nbsp;Bachelet&nbsp;told the UN Human Rights Council.

She said that the UN rights agency, OHCHR, and Beijing had "initiated concrete preparations for a visit that is foreseen to take place in May."

There have long been calls for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit Xinjiang.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-china-says-hong-kong-must-stick-to-dynamic-zero-covid-strategy-460251">COVID-19: China says Hong Kong must stick to 'dynamic zero' COVID strategy</a>

Rights groups say that at least one million mostly Muslim minorities have been incarcerated in "re-education camps" in Xinjiang, a far-western region where China is accused of widespread human rights abuses including forced sterilisations of women and forced labour.

The US government and lawmakers in five other Western countries have declared China's treatment of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang a "genocide" -- a charge denied by Beijing.

China says it is running vocational training centres in the region designed to counter extremism.

Unfettered access

The Chinese government has for years said that&nbsp;Bachelet&nbsp;was welcome to visit Xinjiang, but an agreement on her demand for "meaningful and unfettered access" has until now appeared elusive.

On the sidelines of the Winter Olympics, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told leaders in Beijing last month that he expected them to allow&nbsp;Bachelet&nbsp;to make a "credible" visit to China, including to Xinjiang.

And on Tuesday, the UN rights chief said an agreement had been reached.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-china-should-help-each-other-not-drain-each-others-energies-chinese-foreign-minister-wang-yi-459949">&nbsp;India, China should help each other, not drain each other's energies: Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi</a>

"Preparations will have to take into account Covid-19 regulations," she told the rights council.

"The government has also accepted the visit of an advanced OHCHR team to prepare my stay in China, including on-site visits to Xinjiang and other places," she said.

"This team will depart to China next month."&nbsp;&nbsp;

While&nbsp;Bachelet&nbsp;did not clearly specify that she herself would travel to Xinjiang, her spokeswoman Elizabeth Throssell told reporters she would visit the region.

"I can confirm that both the advanced team and the High Commissioner will go or are due to go to Xinjiang, and obviously visit Beijing and other locations," she said.

"This was the product of negotiations."

Throssell said "an agreement on the parameters that respect our methodology," had been reached, including "unfettered access to a broad range of actors, including civil society."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nearly-400-civilians-killed-in-afghanistan-since-taliban-takeover-un-460263">Nearly 400 civilians killed in Afghanistan since Taliban takeover: UN</a>

Neither she nor&nbsp;Bachelet&nbsp;provided an update on when a long-awaited report drafted by the UN rights office on the rights situation in Xinjiang would emerge.

Observers in Geneva suggest the report has been ready since last August, but that its publication has been put off as the rights office double checks data obtained remotely, without access to the ground.

An OHCHR spokesman had suggested in December that the report would be published within a few weeks, but it still remains unclear when it will be made public.

Throssell said Tuesday that she "did not have specific information" on when the report might be published.

The UN rights chief said Tuesday she would make a long-delayed visit to China in May, including to Xinjiang, where Western lawmakers have accused Beijing of genocide.

The UN rights chief said Tuesday she would make a long-delayed visit to China in May, including to Xinjiang, where Western lawmakers have accused Beijing of genocide. "I am pleased to announce that we have recently reached an agreement with the government of China for a visit," Michelle Bachelet told the UN Human Rights Council. She said that the UN rights agency, OHCHR, and Beijing had "initiated concrete preparations for a visit that is foreseen to take place in May." There have long been calls for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit Xinjiang. Also read | COVID-19: China says Hong Kong must stick to 'dynamic zero' COVID strategy Rights groups say that at least one million mostly Muslim minorities have been incarcerated in "re-education camps" in Xinjiang, a far-western region where China is accused of widespread human rights abuses including forced sterilisations of women and forced labour. The US government and lawmakers in five other Western countries have declared China's treatment of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang a "genocide" -- a charge denied by Beijing. China says it is running vocational training centres in the region designed to counter extremism. Unfettered access The Chinese government has for years said that Bachelet was welcome to visit Xinjiang, but an agreement on her demand for "meaningful and unfettered access" has until now appeared elusive. On the sidelines of the Winter Olympics, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told leaders in Beijing last month that he expected them to allow Bachelet to make a "credible" visit to China, including to Xinjiang. And on Tuesday, the UN rights chief said an agreement had been reached. Also read | India, China should help each other, not drain each other's energies: Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi "Preparations will have to take into account Covid-19 regulations," she told the rights council. "The government has also accepted the visit of an advanced OHCHR team to prepare my stay in China, including on-site visits to Xinjiang and other places," she said. "This team will depart to China next month." While Bachelet did not clearly specify that she herself would travel to Xinjiang, her spokeswoman Elizabeth Throssell told reporters she would visit the region. "I can confirm that both the advanced team and the High Commissioner will go or are due to go to Xinjiang, and obviously visit Beijing and other locations," she said. "This was the product of negotiations." Throssell said "an agreement on the parameters that respect our methodology," had been reached, including "unfettered access to a broad range of actors, including civil society." Also read | Nearly 400 civilians killed in Afghanistan since Taliban takeover: UN Neither she nor Bachelet provided an update on when a long-awaited report drafted by the UN rights office on the rights situation in Xinjiang would emerge. Observers in Geneva suggest the report has been ready since last August, but that its publication has been put off as the rights office double checks data obtained remotely, without access to the ground. An OHCHR spokesman had suggested in December that the report would be published within a few weeks, but it still remains unclear when it will be made public. Throssell said Tuesday that she "did not have specific information" on when the report might be published.

UN rights chief to visit China's Xinjiang in May

UN Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet can visit Xinjiang, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday (February 19). However, a full-scale investigation is highly unlikely as Beijing has said it doesn't welcome any probe based on the presumption of guilt&nbsp;in the region.&nbsp;

Some of the Western countries have accused China of 'egregious' human rights violations in the Xinjiang region against the Uyghur&nbsp;Muslims, which China has repeatedly denied.&nbsp;

The US has accused China of mass detention, torture, forced labour and genocide in Xinjiang. The issue remained in headlines before and during the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/winter-olympics-2022-chinese-official-makes-first-statement-on-taiwan-and-xinjiang-at-games-454163">Winter Olympics 2022: Chinese official makes first statement on Taiwan and Xinjiang at Games</a>

Some countries like the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics. They didn't send government officials to the Games but athletes from the mentioned countries participated.&nbsp;

UN Human Rights Chief has long sought access to the western Chinese region to investigate accusations of abuse against ethnic Uyghurs.&nbsp;

But on being asked if Bachelet would have unrestricted access in Xinjiang, Wang said by video at the Munich Security Conference: "(China) rejects all kinds of biases, prejudices and uncalled-for accusations."&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-naval-vessel-directs-laser-at-australian-military-plane-454687">Chinese naval vessel directs laser at Australian military plane</a>

China says the camps are re-education and training facilities and denies any abuse, saying it is fighting religious extremism. The so-called systematic forced labour or education camps are all lies and fabrication, said Wang.&nbsp;

"I hope you can believe the Chinese government, and trust what the Chinese government has said and the information that we have been releasing," he said.&nbsp;

WATCH:&nbsp;The US adds China's Tencent &amp; Alibaba sites in the notorious markets list

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/the-us-adds-chinas-tencent-alibaba-sites-in-the-notorious-markets-list-454192/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

(With inputs from agencies)

UN Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet can visit Xinjiang, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday (February 19). However, a full-scale investigation is highly unlikely as Beijing has said it doesn't welcome any probe based on the presumption of guilt in the region.

UN Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet can visit Xinjiang, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday (February 19). However, a full-scale investigation is highly unlikely as Beijing has said it doesn't welcome any probe based on the presumption of guilt in the region. Some of the Western countries have accused China of 'egregious' human rights violations in the Xinjiang region against the Uyghur Muslims, which China has repeatedly denied. The US has accused China of mass detention, torture, forced labour and genocide in Xinjiang. The issue remained in headlines before and during the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. ALSO READ | Winter Olympics 2022: Chinese official makes first statement on Taiwan and Xinjiang at Games Some countries like the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics. They didn't send government officials to the Games but athletes from the mentioned countries participated. UN Human Rights Chief has long sought access to the western Chinese region to investigate accusations of abuse against ethnic Uyghurs. But on being asked if Bachelet would have unrestricted access in Xinjiang, Wang said by video at the Munich Security Conference: "(China) rejects all kinds of biases, prejudices and uncalled-for accusations." ALSO READ | Chinese naval vessel directs laser at Australian military plane China says the camps are re-education and training facilities and denies any abuse, saying it is fighting religious extremism. The so-called systematic forced labour or education camps are all lies and fabrication, said Wang. "I hope you can believe the Chinese government, and trust what the Chinese government has said and the information that we have been releasing," he said. WATCH: The US adds China's Tencent & Alibaba sites in the notorious markets list × (With inputs from agencies)

UN human rights chief can visit Xinjiang but Beijing doesn't welcome any probe, says China's foreign minister

Politics entered the Olympics on Thursday when an&nbsp;official&nbsp;for the Beijing Games spoke about Taiwan and Xinjiang, declaring there was only "one China", the&nbsp;first&nbsp;such&nbsp;statements by the host since the competition started.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesman Mark Adams was asked a question at the daily press conference about Taiwan's presence at the closing ceremony on Sunday. Following his comments, Beijing Games spokesperson Yan Jiarong said: "There is only one China".

Her&nbsp;statement&nbsp;reiterates China's stance towards democratically governed Taiwan, which it claims as its own "sacred" territory.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-eases-virus-border-rules-for-workers-students-454049">COVID-19: Japan eases virus border rules for workers and students but tourists will still be barred</a>

Later, Yan again insisted on making a&nbsp;statement&nbsp;about Xinjiang when a reporter directed a question to the IOC about material from China's Xinjiang region being used in clothing.

"The so-called forced labour in Xinjiang is lies made up by deliberate groups," Yan said.

Human rights groups have accused some textile companies who source materials from Xinjiang of ignoring abuses of the Uyghur population in the region.

China denies all accusations of abuse and has repeatedly denied claims that it runs a network of forced labour camps in Xinjiang.

Amid a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics by the United States, Britain and other Western nations over China's human rights records, the IOC has tried to keep politics out of the Beijing Games.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-contrast-to-covids-59-million-deaths-this-malady-kills-more-than-9-million-people-every-year-453616">In contrast to Covid's 5.9 million deaths, this malady kills more than 9 million people every year</a>

Athletes have been told to stick to the IOC's Rule 50, which bans political&nbsp;statements on the medals podium and in competitions.

The rule, slightly revised ahead of last year's Tokyo Games to allow for some protests on the field of play if&nbsp;first&nbsp;cleared with the IOC, was thrust into the spotlight in the run-up to the Olympics.

"We are always against the idea of politicising the Games. The IOC has 206 members, including the Peoples' Republic of China and the National Olympic Committee of&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;Taipei," Yan said.

Taiwan competes in most sporting events, including the Olympics, as "Chinese&nbsp;Taipei" at the insistence of Beijing, which sees Taiwan as part of "one China".

Taiwan took part in the Games' opening ceremony after the team said it had received "several notices" by the IOC to attend both the opening and closing ceremonies.

Last month, it had initially said it could not attend due to delayed flights and COVID-19 rules.

Politics entered the Olympics on Thursday when an official for the Beijing Games spoke about Taiwan and Xinjiang, declaring there was only "one China", the first such statements by the host since the competition started.

Politics entered the Olympics on Thursday when an official for the Beijing Games spoke about Taiwan and Xinjiang, declaring there was only "one China", the first such statements by the host since the competition started. International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesman Mark Adams was asked a question at the daily press conference about Taiwan's presence at the closing ceremony on Sunday. Following his comments, Beijing Games spokesperson Yan Jiarong said: "There is only one China". Her statement reiterates China's stance towards democratically governed Taiwan, which it claims as its own "sacred" territory. ALSO READ | COVID-19: Japan eases virus border rules for workers and students but tourists will still be barred Later, Yan again insisted on making a statement about Xinjiang when a reporter directed a question to the IOC about material from China's Xinjiang region being used in clothing. "The so-called forced labour in Xinjiang is lies made up by deliberate groups," Yan said. Human rights groups have accused some textile companies who source materials from Xinjiang of ignoring abuses of the Uyghur population in the region. China denies all accusations of abuse and has repeatedly denied claims that it runs a network of forced labour camps in Xinjiang. Amid a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics by the United States, Britain and other Western nations over China's human rights records, the IOC has tried to keep politics out of the Beijing Games. ALSO READ | In contrast to Covid's 5.9 million deaths, this malady kills more than 9 million people every year Athletes have been told to stick to the IOC's Rule 50, which bans political statements on the medals podium and in competitions. The rule, slightly revised ahead of last year's Tokyo Games to allow for some protests on the field of play if first cleared with the IOC, was thrust into the spotlight in the run-up to the Olympics. "We are always against the idea of politicising the Games. The IOC has 206 members, including the Peoples' Republic of China and the National Olympic Committee of Chinese Taipei," Yan said. Taiwan competes in most sporting events, including the Olympics, as "Chinese Taipei" at the insistence of Beijing, which sees Taiwan as part of "one China". Taiwan took part in the Games' opening ceremony after the team said it had received "several notices" by the IOC to attend both the opening and closing ceremonies. Last month, it had initially said it could not attend due to delayed flights and COVID-19 rules.

Winter Olympics 2022: Chinese official makes first statement on Taiwan and Xinjiang at Games

In support to all-weather ally China, Pakistan seems to have been constantly turning a blind eye to suppression of Uyghur Muslim in the country. &nbsp;

For years, Pakistan seems to have been acting like the custodian of Islam all around the world. It has been voicing concerns for Muslims everywhere other than Xinjiang. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/foreign-minister-shah-mahmood-qureshi-irked-with-low-rank-in-pakistans-top-performing-ministries-452646" hreflang="en">FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi irked with low rank in Pak’s top-performing ministries</a>

In the latest development, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the situation in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR) is not what the Western media portrays. &nbsp;

In an exclusive interview with Fareed Zakaria for CNN, the PM said that Pakistan's ambassador to China Moinul Haq had visited XUAR, and said that the situation over there is "not what the Western media portrays." &nbsp;

Imran Khan has been supporting China on its policy regarding Xinjiang. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistani-army-abducting-people-across-balochistan-in-crackdown-to-avenge-attacks-452416" hreflang="en">Pakistani army abducting people across Balochistan to avenge attacks</a>

This comes as the West looks to hold Beijing accountable for suppressing Uyghur Muslims in the region. &nbsp;

For economic aid and diplomatic support, Pakistan has been hugely dependent on China nowadays. &nbsp;

During the inaugural ceremony of the Beijing Olympics 2022, a joint statement released after the meeting of Imran Khan and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, said, "The Pakistan side expressed its "commitment to One-China Policy and support for China on Taiwan, South China Sea, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet." &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In support to all-weather ally China, Pakistan seems to have been constantly turning a blind eye to suppression of Uyghur Muslim in the country. For years, Pakistan seems to have been acting like the custodian of Islam all around the world.

In support to all-weather ally China, Pakistan seems to have been constantly turning a blind eye to suppression of Uyghur Muslim in the country. For years, Pakistan seems to have been acting like the custodian of Islam all around the world. It has been voicing concerns for Muslims everywhere other than Xinjiang. Also Read: FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi irked with low rank in Pak’s top-performing ministries In the latest development, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the situation in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR) is not what the Western media portrays. In an exclusive interview with Fareed Zakaria for CNN, the PM said that Pakistan's ambassador to China Moinul Haq had visited XUAR, and said that the situation over there is "not what the Western media portrays." Imran Khan has been supporting China on its policy regarding Xinjiang. Also Read: Pakistani army abducting people across Balochistan to avenge attacks This comes as the West looks to hold Beijing accountable for suppressing Uyghur Muslims in the region. For economic aid and diplomatic support, Pakistan has been hugely dependent on China nowadays. During the inaugural ceremony of the Beijing Olympics 2022, a joint statement released after the meeting of Imran Khan and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, said, "The Pakistan side expressed its "commitment to One-China Policy and support for China on Taiwan, South China Sea, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet." (With inputs from agencies)

Pak PM Imran Khan defends ally China, says ‘Xinjiang situation not what Western media portrays’

The International Labour Organization has slammed China for racial and religious discrimination in the Xinjiang region.

"The Committee expresses its deep concern in respect of the policy directions expressed in numerous national and regional policy and regulatory documents and requests therefore the government to ... review its national and regional policies with a view to eliminating all distinction, exclusion or preference," the report released by the UN&nbsp;agency said.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-video-of-uighur-muslims-in-xinjiang-exposes-chinas-rights-violations-269841/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"As a ILO member state, the Chinese government is firmly committed to respecting, promoting and realizing the full access to productive and freely chosen employment and decent work for all China’s ethnic minority groups including Uyghurs in Xinjiang," its diplomatic mission in Geneva said on Twitter, adding that US&nbsp;labour practices had previously fallen foul of the same committee.

A committee of 20 experts appointed by the International Labour Organization to evaluate how countries apply various international labour conventions took China to task in its annual report, published this week.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tribunal-rules-china-committed-genocide-against-uyghurs-jinping-primarily-responsible-435811">Also read |&nbsp;Tribunal rules China committed genocide against Uyghurs, Jinping 'primarily' responsible</a>

The experts also called on Chinese authorities to stop requiring companies and trade unions to fulfill "deradicalisation duties", and to allow them to promote "equality of opportunity and treatment in employment".&nbsp;

The committee had evaluated allegations by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) in late 2020 that Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang were systematically being used for forced labour in agriculture.

"This report, produced by the ILO 's Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations, expresses deep concern regarding the PRC's policies and calls on the PRC government to take specific steps toward eliminating racial and religious discrimination in employment and occupation, and to amend national and regional policies utilizing vocational training and rehabilitation centers for 'political re-education' based on administrative detention," the US State Departement said in a statement.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-is-playing-western-countries-against-one-another-says-trudeau-440112">Also read |&nbsp;China is 'playing' Western countries against one another, says Trudeau</a>

The Chinese government called the allegations "untrue and politically motivated" in remarks summarised in the report.

China has been a member of the Geneva-based ILO since 1919 and has ratified many of its legally binding conventions.

Rights groups also say at least one million Uyghurs have been incarcerated in "re-education camps" in Xinjiang.

Beijing vehemently denies all such charges, and maintains the camps are vocational training centres aimed at reducing the appeal of Islamic extremism.

(With inputs from agencies)

The International Labour Organization has slammed China for racial and religious discrimination in the Xinjiang region. "The Committee expresses its deep concern in respect of the policy directions expressed in numerous national and regional policy and regulatory documents and requests therefore the government to .

The International Labour Organization has slammed China for racial and religious discrimination in the Xinjiang region. "The Committee expresses its deep concern in respect of the policy directions expressed in numerous national and regional policy and regulatory documents and requests therefore the government to ... review its national and regional policies with a view to eliminating all distinction, exclusion or preference," the report released by the UN agency said. "As a ILO member state, the Chinese government is firmly committed to respecting, promoting and realizing the full access to productive and freely chosen employment and decent work for all China’s ethnic minority groups including Uyghurs in Xinjiang," its diplomatic mission in Geneva said on Twitter, adding that US labour practices had previously fallen foul of the same committee. A committee of 20 experts appointed by the International Labour Organization to evaluate how countries apply various international labour conventions took China to task in its annual report, published this week. Also read | Tribunal rules China committed genocide against Uyghurs, Jinping 'primarily' responsible The experts also called on Chinese authorities to stop requiring companies and trade unions to fulfill "deradicalisation duties", and to allow them to promote "equality of opportunity and treatment in employment". The committee had evaluated allegations by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) in late 2020 that Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang were systematically being used for forced labour in agriculture. "This report, produced by the ILO 's Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations, expresses deep concern regarding the PRC's policies and calls on the PRC government to take specific steps toward eliminating racial and religious discrimination in employment and occupation, and to amend national and regional policies utilizing vocational training and rehabilitation centers for 'political re-education' based on administrative detention," the US State Departement said in a statement. Also read | China is 'playing' Western countries against one another, says Trudeau The Chinese government called the allegations "untrue and politically motivated" in remarks summarised in the report. China has been a member of the Geneva-based ILO since 1919 and has ratified many of its legally binding conventions. Rights groups also say at least one million Uyghurs have been incarcerated in "re-education camps" in Xinjiang. Beijing vehemently denies all such charges, and maintains the camps are vocational training centres aimed at reducing the appeal of Islamic extremism. (With inputs from agencies)

International Labour Organization slams China for racial and religious discrimination in Xinjiang

For years China has been accused of several human rights abuses and several independent reports allege discriminatory work practices in the country. United Nations agency the International Labour Organization has released a report which stresses on how China's employment practices are not in tandem with a global standard, the report highlights how China has violated various articles of the employment policy convention of 1964.

UN report: China's Labour Policies in Xinjiang are discriminatory

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met China's President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022. During the meeting, he expressed his expectation that the UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet will be allowed to make a “credible” visit to China. The visit will also include a stop in the Xinjiang region.

As per the readout of their talks, the UN chief “expressed his expectation that the contacts between the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Chinese authorities will allow for a credible visit of the High Commissioner to China, including Xinjiang.”&nbsp;

So far, China has denied Bachelet an independent visit to Xinjiang.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/host-nation-china-wins-its-first-gold-at-the-beijing-winter-olympics-2022-450882">Also read |&nbsp;Host nation China wins its first gold at the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022</a>

China has been called out for violating human rights in its Xinjiang region. The country has been accused of unlawfully imprisoning up to 1.8 million Uyghurs, and several other Muslim minorities in mass detention camps in Xinjiang.&nbsp; 
China, however, has denied all of these accusations.

As per campaigners, at least one million, mostly Muslim minorities, have been imprisoned in re-education camps in Xinjiang.

A statement by the UN says that during the meeting with Xi, Guterres “expressed the wish for enhanced cooperation between the United Nations and the People’s Republic of China in all the pillars of the Organisation’s work – peace and security, sustainable development, including climate change and biodiversity, and human rights.”

(With inputs from agencies)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met China's President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022. During the meeting, he expressed his expectation that the UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet will be allowed to make a “credible” visit to China.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met China's President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022. During the meeting, he expressed his expectation that the UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet will be allowed to make a “credible” visit to China. The visit will also include a stop in the Xinjiang region. As per the readout of their talks, the UN chief “expressed his expectation that the contacts between the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Chinese authorities will allow for a credible visit of the High Commissioner to China, including Xinjiang.” So far, China has denied Bachelet an independent visit to Xinjiang. Also read | Host nation China wins its first gold at the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 China has been called out for violating human rights in its Xinjiang region. The country has been accused of unlawfully imprisoning up to 1.8 million Uyghurs, and several other Muslim minorities in mass detention camps in Xinjiang. China, however, has denied all of these accusations. As per campaigners, at least one million, mostly Muslim minorities, have been imprisoned in re-education camps in Xinjiang. A statement by the UN says that during the meeting with Xi, Guterres “expressed the wish for enhanced cooperation between the United Nations and the People’s Republic of China in all the pillars of the Organisation’s work – peace and security, sustainable development, including climate change and biodiversity, and human rights.” (With inputs from agencies)

UN chief Guterres meets Xi, says he expects China to allow 'credible' visit to Xinjiang

Amid Human Rights violation allegations on China in Xinjiang region, United Nations Chief calls for a visit by UN Human Rights Chief.

UN Chief: Let UN Human Rights Chief visit Xinjiang in China

Intel, the US chipmaker has deleted reference to Chinese province of Xinjiang from a letter to its suppliers. The development took place after the company faced backlash from China over its appeal to not use labour or goods and services from the region.

Intel was heavily criticised last month after the appeal to its suppliers. The letter sent last month said that Intel had been "required to ensure that its supply chain does not use any labour or source goods or services from the Xinjiang region" following restrictions imposed by "multiple governments".

On Tuesday, this reference was not present in the page. The letter now states that Intel prohibits "any human trafficked or involuntary labour such as forced, debt bonded, prison, indentured, or slave labour throughout your extended supply chains."

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/former-xinjiang-paramilitary-chief-to-lead-chinese-peoples-liberation-army-in-hong-kong-443851">Former Xinjiang paramilitary chief to lead Chinese People’s Liberation Army in Hong Kong</a>

China faces global pressure over its treatment of Uyghur Muslim minorities in Xinjiang. There are also allegations of forced labour which China denies. Huge companies, especially in the tech sector have had to do a ropewalk between US laws and their own presence in China, a huge market.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/muslim-woman-sentenced-for-14-years-in-china-for-teaching-islam-hiding-quran-443552">Muslim woman sentenced for 14 years in China for teaching Islam, hiding Quran</a> 
 
Intel's deletion of any reference to Xinjiang in its annual letter to suppliers, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, was criticised by US Senator Marco Rubio.

“Intel’s cowardice is yet another predictable consequence of economic reliance on China,” Rubio said in a statement on Monday.

“Instead of humiliating apologies and self-censorship, companies should move their supply chains to countries that do not use slave labour or commit genocide.”

Rubio was one of four U.S. politicians who introduced the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act last month calling for a ban on imports from Xinjiang over allegations of forced labour there. On Dec. 23, U.S. President Joe Biden signed the act into law.

(With inputs from agencies)

Intel, the US chipmaker has deleted reference to Chinese province of Xinjiang from a letter to its suppliers. The development took place after the company faced backlash from China over its appeal to not use labour or goods and services from the region.

Intel, the US chipmaker has deleted reference to Chinese province of Xinjiang from a letter to its suppliers. The development took place after the company faced backlash from China over its appeal to not use labour or goods and services from the region. Intel was heavily criticised last month after the appeal to its suppliers. The letter sent last month said that Intel had been "required to ensure that its supply chain does not use any labour or source goods or services from the Xinjiang region" following restrictions imposed by "multiple governments". On Tuesday, this reference was not present in the page. The letter now states that Intel prohibits "any human trafficked or involuntary labour such as forced, debt bonded, prison, indentured, or slave labour throughout your extended supply chains." Also Read | Former Xinjiang paramilitary chief to lead Chinese People’s Liberation Army in Hong Kong China faces global pressure over its treatment of Uyghur Muslim minorities in Xinjiang. There are also allegations of forced labour which China denies. Huge companies, especially in the tech sector have had to do a ropewalk between US laws and their own presence in China, a huge market. Also Read | Muslim woman sentenced for 14 years in China for teaching Islam, hiding Quran Intel's deletion of any reference to Xinjiang in its annual letter to suppliers, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, was criticised by US Senator Marco Rubio. “Intel’s cowardice is yet another predictable consequence of economic reliance on China,” Rubio said in a statement on Monday. “Instead of humiliating apologies and self-censorship, companies should move their supply chains to countries that do not use slave labour or commit genocide.” Rubio was one of four U.S. politicians who introduced the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act last month calling for a ban on imports from Xinjiang over allegations of forced labour there. On Dec. 23, U.S. President Joe Biden signed the act into law. (With inputs from agencies)

Intel removes Xinjiang reference from letter after Chinese backlash

Former paramilitary chief of the Xinjiang Peng Jingtang will lead Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Hong Kong.

Citing PLA's spokesman, state broadcaster CCTV reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping has signed the order of Peng's appointment.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-hong-kong-begins-voting-on-chinas-blueprint-locals-skip-undemocratic-process-438096">Also read |&nbsp;As Hong Kong begins voting on China's blueprint, locals skip 'undemocratic' process</a>

Peng has vowed to resolutely defend national sovereignty and security interests, follow the command of the ruling Communist Party and Xi Jinping.

Peng will replace Chen Daoxiang, who is reaching the age of retirement. PLA soldiers have become more visible in Hong Kong under Chen's leadership. They cleared debris following a clash between demonstrators and police during the 2019 protests.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-court-grants-bail-to-activist-charged-under-security-law-media-393112">Also read |&nbsp;Hong Kong court grants bail to activist charged under security law: Media</a>

Peng was previously the deputy chief of staff of China's paramilitary police force, the People's Armed Police.&nbsp;

He had also served as the chief of staff of the Armed Police Force in Xinjiang. Currently, he holds the rank of major general.

China has been accused by Washington of genocide in Xinjiang, a far-western region where human rights campaigners say authorities have detained vast numbers of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in camps and are stamping out their culture.

After passing the Hong Kong national security law, Beijing has been trying to remould the business hub in its own authoritarian image.

The PLA maintains a garrison in Hong Kong, but its activities are largely low-profile.

Under the city's mini-constitution, Hong Kong has its own police force but China has maintained military barracks there since the 1997 handover when colonial Britain's own forces left. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Former paramilitary chief of the Xinjiang Peng Jingtang will lead Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Hong Kong. Citing PLA's spokesman, state broadcaster CCTV reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping has signed the order of Peng's appointment.

Former paramilitary chief of the Xinjiang Peng Jingtang will lead Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Hong Kong. Citing PLA's spokesman, state broadcaster CCTV reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping has signed the order of Peng's appointment. Also read | As Hong Kong begins voting on China's blueprint, locals skip 'undemocratic' process Peng has vowed to resolutely defend national sovereignty and security interests, follow the command of the ruling Communist Party and Xi Jinping. Peng will replace Chen Daoxiang, who is reaching the age of retirement. PLA soldiers have become more visible in Hong Kong under Chen's leadership. They cleared debris following a clash between demonstrators and police during the 2019 protests. Also read | Hong Kong court grants bail to activist charged under security law: Media Peng was previously the deputy chief of staff of China's paramilitary police force, the People's Armed Police. He had also served as the chief of staff of the Armed Police Force in Xinjiang. Currently, he holds the rank of major general. China has been accused by Washington of genocide in Xinjiang, a far-western region where human rights campaigners say authorities have detained vast numbers of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in camps and are stamping out their culture. After passing the Hong Kong national security law, Beijing has been trying to remould the business hub in its own authoritarian image. The PLA maintains a garrison in Hong Kong, but its activities are largely low-profile. Under the city's mini-constitution, Hong Kong has its own police force but China has maintained military barracks there since the 1997 handover when colonial Britain's own forces left. (With inputs from agencies)

Former Xinjiang paramilitary chief to lead Chinese People’s Liberation Army in Hong Kong

The electric vehicle market leader Tesla has announced that it has opened a new dealership in Urumqi, which is the capital of Xinjiang in China. American activists are appealing to Tesla to cease what they call economic support for genocide.

Tesla inc opens new showroom in China's Xinjiang region

Activists have criticised Tesla CEO Elon Musk for opening a new showroom in Xinjiang despite concerns about human rights abuse.

The South African billionaire took to micro-blogging platform Twitter to make the announcement and said, “Let’s start Xinjiang’s all-electric journey!”

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-the-story-of-elon-musk-355489/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Elon Musk must close Tesla’s Xinjiang showroom," Council on American-Islamic Relations said on its official Twitter account.

“No American corporation should be doing business in a region that is the focal point of a campaign of genocide targeting a religious and ethnic minority,” said the group’s communications director, Ibrahim Hooper, said in a statement.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/stupidity-and-shorted-sightedness-china-warns-walmart-and-sams-club-over-removal-of-xinjiang-products-441501">Also read |&nbsp;'Stupidity and shorted-sightedness': China warns Walmart and Sam's Club over removal of Xinjiang products</a>

US trade group, the Alliance for American Manufacturing, and US senator Marco Rubio also condemned the decision.

Pressure on foreign companies to take positions on Xinjiang, Tibet, Taiwan and other politically charged issues has been rising.

Activists and foreign governments say some 1 million Uyghurs and members of other mostly Muslim minorities have been confined in detention camps in Xinjiang.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/intel-apologises-to-chinese-population-for-hurting-their-sentiments-over-xinjiang-comments-439553">Also read |&nbsp;Intel apologises to Chinese population for hurting their sentiments over Xinjiang comments</a>

China has rejected accusations of forced labour or any other abuses there, saying that the camps provide vocational training and that companies should respect its policies there.

The United States and a few other countries announced&nbsp;a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics in February over the issue.

Washington has banned imports of Xinjiang cotton and blacklists Chinese companies that it says have aided Beijing's policy there.

China's ruling Communist Party pushes companies to adopt its positions in their advertising and on websites. It has attacked clothing and other brands that express concern about reports of forced labour and other abuses in Xinjiang.

This includes Swedish fashion retailer H&amp;M, Intel Corp., the world’s biggest maker of computer chips and Walmart Inc. All of them had openly criticised China over Xinjiang and as a result had faced boycott campaigns in the country.

(With inputs from agencies)

Activists have criticised Tesla CEO Elon Musk for opening a new showroom in Xinjiang despite concerns about human rights abuse. The South African billionaire took to micro-blogging platform Twitter to make the announcement and said, “Let’s start Xinjiang’s all-electric journey!

Activists have criticised Tesla CEO Elon Musk for opening a new showroom in Xinjiang despite concerns about human rights abuse. The South African billionaire took to micro-blogging platform Twitter to make the announcement and said, “Let’s start Xinjiang’s all-electric journey!” "Elon Musk must close Tesla’s Xinjiang showroom," Council on American-Islamic Relations said on its official Twitter account. “No American corporation should be doing business in a region that is the focal point of a campaign of genocide targeting a religious and ethnic minority,” said the group’s communications director, Ibrahim Hooper, said in a statement. Also read | 'Stupidity and shorted-sightedness': China warns Walmart and Sam's Club over removal of Xinjiang products US trade group, the Alliance for American Manufacturing, and US senator Marco Rubio also condemned the decision. Pressure on foreign companies to take positions on Xinjiang, Tibet, Taiwan and other politically charged issues has been rising. Activists and foreign governments say some 1 million Uyghurs and members of other mostly Muslim minorities have been confined in detention camps in Xinjiang. Also read | Intel apologises to Chinese population for hurting their sentiments over Xinjiang comments China has rejected accusations of forced labour or any other abuses there, saying that the camps provide vocational training and that companies should respect its policies there. The United States and a few other countries announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics in February over the issue. Washington has banned imports of Xinjiang cotton and blacklists Chinese companies that it says have aided Beijing's policy there. China's ruling Communist Party pushes companies to adopt its positions in their advertising and on websites. It has attacked clothing and other brands that express concern about reports of forced labour and other abuses in Xinjiang. This includes Swedish fashion retailer H&M, Intel Corp., the world’s biggest maker of computer chips and Walmart Inc. All of them had openly criticised China over Xinjiang and as a result had faced boycott campaigns in the country. (With inputs from agencies)

Activists slam Elon Musk for opening showroom in 'focal point of genocide,' Xinjiang

The US retail giant Walmart Inc and its Sam's Club chain have been accused by China's anti-corruption agency on Friday (December 31) after reports emerged that Sam's Club had allegedly removed Xinjiang-sourced products from stores.&nbsp;

Recently, Sam's Club faced criticism in China when some users on the county's Twitter-like social media platform Weibo claimed that products from the Chinese region of Xinjiang had been taken down from the store's online app. They reportedly shared screenshots to support their claims.&nbsp;

The Chinese Communist Party's anti-graft watchdog&nbsp;Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), in a statement on its website accused the retail giant of "stupidity and shorted-sightedness".&nbsp;

They said Sam's Club is trying to "muddle through" the issue of Xinjiang by remaining silent.

"To take down all products from a region without a valid reason hides an ulterior motive, reveals stupidity and short-sightedness, and will surely have its own bad consequences," the commission said as quoted by media outlets.&nbsp;

The controversy was started more or less on social media forums after US President Joe Biden signed into law on December 23 legislation banning imports from Xinjiang over concern about forced labour there.

Meanwhile, China has repeatedly denied the accusations made by Western countries.&nbsp;

So far, Walmart has not issued any comments on the same.&nbsp;

The US retail giant Walmart Inc and its Sam's Club chain have been accused by China's anti-corruption agency on Friday (December 31) after reports emerged that Sam's Club had allegedly removed Xinjiang-sourced products from stores.

The US retail giant Walmart Inc and its Sam's Club chain have been accused by China's anti-corruption agency on Friday (December 31) after reports emerged that Sam's Club had allegedly removed Xinjiang-sourced products from stores. Recently, Sam's Club faced criticism in China when some users on the county's Twitter-like social media platform Weibo claimed that products from the Chinese region of Xinjiang had been taken down from the store's online app. They reportedly shared screenshots to support their claims. The Chinese Communist Party's anti-graft watchdog Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), in a statement on its website accused the retail giant of "stupidity and shorted-sightedness". They said Sam's Club is trying to "muddle through" the issue of Xinjiang by remaining silent. "To take down all products from a region without a valid reason hides an ulterior motive, reveals stupidity and short-sightedness, and will surely have its own bad consequences," the commission said as quoted by media outlets. The controversy was started more or less on social media forums after US President Joe Biden signed into law on December 23 legislation banning imports from Xinjiang over concern about forced labour there. Meanwhile, China has repeatedly denied the accusations made by Western countries. So far, Walmart has not issued any comments on the same.

'Stupidity and shorted-sightedness': China warns Walmart and Sam's Club over removal of Xinjiang products

Xinjiang’s communist party chief, Chen Quanguo, has been sacked by the ruling establishment amid latest pushback from the United States over allegations of human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in the volatile region.

Chen, who was sanctioned by the US last year for the crackdown on minorities, has been replaced by Ma Xingrui, who was the governor of Guangdong province.

“The CPC Central Committee has appointed Ma Xingrui as new party chief for Xinjiang. Chen Quanguo, who no longer serves as secretary of the Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Regional Committee of the CPC, will be given another appointment, according to a decision by the CPC Central Committee,” a statement published by the Xinhua news agency said on Saturday.

However, Xinhua report states that Chen would be appointed to another post ahead of his elevation at next year’s party congress.

The changes are reportedly part of a wider reshuffle ahead of next year’s party congress, where a new Politburo Standing Committee – the country’s top leadership body – will be unveiled, reports Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/xinjiang-cotton-boycott-a-golden-opportunity-for-india-373156">Xinjiang cotton boycott: A golden opportunity for India</a>

Last year, the US government had slapped sanctions against Chen and several other Chinese officials in-charge of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, stating they were believed to be responsible for, or complicit in the unjust detention or abuse of Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs and members of other minority groups in Xinjiang.

In response, China had imposed sanctions against US Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), the then US Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Samuel Brownback, US Senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Congressman Chris Smit.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-general-assembly-2021-biden-raises-xinjiang-human-rights-abuse-issue-in-maiden-speech-414711">UN General Assembly 2021 | Biden raises Xinjiang human rights abuse issue in maiden speech</a>

Several human rights groups and countries like US, EU and UK have been accusing China of carrying out “genocide” or using forced labour&nbsp;in&nbsp;Xinjiang—a charge Beijing denies.

Beijing says its security crackdown in Xinjiang was aimed at the separatist East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which is affiliated to the Al-Qaida faction operating in Xinjiang. The labour camps have been called regular job training.

Moreover, US also passed a new law which prohibits American companies to run their operations in Xinjiang region.

Xinjiang is China’s largest growing base of cotton, lavender and hop, cotton production. Xinjiang’s reserves of mineral resources are great as well, according to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, a statutory government body.

It is also a key location for producing polysilicon used in solar panels, seen as crucial in the global shift away from fossil fuels.

(With inputs from agencies)

Xinjiang’s communist party chief, Chen Quanguo, has been sacked by the ruling establishment amid latest pushback from the United States over allegations of human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in the volatile region.

Xinjiang’s communist party chief, Chen Quanguo, has been sacked by the ruling establishment amid latest pushback from the United States over allegations of human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in the volatile region. Chen, who was sanctioned by the US last year for the crackdown on minorities, has been replaced by Ma Xingrui, who was the governor of Guangdong province. “The CPC Central Committee has appointed Ma Xingrui as new party chief for Xinjiang. Chen Quanguo, who no longer serves as secretary of the Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Regional Committee of the CPC, will be given another appointment, according to a decision by the CPC Central Committee,” a statement published by the Xinhua news agency said on Saturday. However, Xinhua report states that Chen would be appointed to another post ahead of his elevation at next year’s party congress. The changes are reportedly part of a wider reshuffle ahead of next year’s party congress, where a new Politburo Standing Committee – the country’s top leadership body – will be unveiled, reports Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post. Also read | Xinjiang cotton boycott: A golden opportunity for India Last year, the US government had slapped sanctions against Chen and several other Chinese officials in-charge of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, stating they were believed to be responsible for, or complicit in the unjust detention or abuse of Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs and members of other minority groups in Xinjiang. In response, China had imposed sanctions against US Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), the then US Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Samuel Brownback, US Senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Congressman Chris Smit. Also read | UN General Assembly 2021 | Biden raises Xinjiang human rights abuse issue in maiden speech Several human rights groups and countries like US, EU and UK have been accusing China of carrying out “genocide” or using forced labour in Xinjiang—a charge Beijing denies. Beijing says its security crackdown in Xinjiang was aimed at the separatist East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which is affiliated to the Al-Qaida faction operating in Xinjiang. The labour camps have been called regular job training. Moreover, US also passed a new law which prohibits American companies to run their operations in Xinjiang region. Xinjiang is China’s largest growing base of cotton, lavender and hop, cotton production. Xinjiang’s reserves of mineral resources are great as well, according to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, a statutory government body. It is also a key location for producing polysilicon used in solar panels, seen as crucial in the global shift away from fossil fuels. (With inputs from agencies)

Chinese Communist Party replaces Xinjiang’s chief amid US pushback over human rights abuses

President Joe Biden signed a law Thursday virtually banning all imports from the Chinese region of Xinjiang in response to concerns over forced labour, as US companies find themselves caught in the diplomatic fray.

The bill, which was approved by Congress last week,&nbsp;bans&nbsp;the import of all goods from the region unless companies offer verifiable proof that production did not involve forced labour.

The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act sets its sights on three products in particular: cotton, of which Xinjiang is one of the world's major producers; tomatoes; and polysilicon, a material used to produce solar panels.

In a rare bipartisan move, the Senate last week unanimously voted to make the United States the first country to ban virtually all imports from the region.

The vote came despite lobbying by US firms, many of which are heavily dependent on Chinese suppliers and already facing massive disruption due to trade disturbances caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The law gives the government "new tools to prevent goods made with forced labour in Xinjiang from entering US markets and to further promote accountability for persons and entities responsible for these abuses," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement, calling on China to end "genocide and crimes against humanity."

The law also requires the US president to impose sanctions on Chinese officials responsible for human rights abuses in the region.

Beijing on Friday slammed the measure, accusing the United States of "violating international law" and "maliciously slandering" China.

China's foreign ministry urged the United States to "immediately correct its mistakes," threatening to "make a further response," in a statement.&nbsp;

An estimated 20 per cent of garments imported into the United States each year include some cotton from Xinjiang.

Rights experts, witnesses and the US government say more than one million Uyghurs and other Turkic-speaking Muslims are incarcerated in camps in an effort to root out their Islamic cultural traditions and forcibly assimilate them into China's Han majority.

Washington has described the campaign as genocide.

Republican opposition has criticized the White House for slow movement on the matter.

On Thursday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked about the relative discretion with which Biden signed the text, despite having made countering China a major axis of his foreign policy.

The White House released only a photo of the signing on Twitter, while Biden signed a law -- with cameras rolling -- intended to support research against a rare neurodegenerative disease.

He signs bills "off camera sometimes (and) sometimes on camera. We support the bill and obviously we've been leading the effort in the world to call out human rights abuses," Psaki said.

Washington has already hit some Chinese officials and businesses with sanctions and announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics in protest of the conditions in Xinjiang.

Beijing describes the sites as vocational training centers and says it is seeking to reduce the allure of radical Islam following deadly attacks.

Implementation of the law and the US offensive against certain Chinese economic interests is causing friction for some companies, such as US semiconductor giant Intel, which on Thursday issued an apology over a letter to its suppliers.

In the wake of the US bill's passage in the Senate, the company had asked suppliers to avoid sourcing in the region.

Following public outcry in China, the chipmaker&nbsp;expressed its regret for the comments in a statement posted on Weibo, the Chinese social media platform.

"We believe the private sector and the international community should oppose the PRC's weaponizing of its markets to stifle support for human rights," Psaki said, using an acronym for the People's Republic of China.

"We also think that American companies should never feel the need to apologize for standing up for fundamental human rights or opposing repression," she added.

President Joe Biden signed a law Thursday virtually banning all imports from the Chinese region of Xinjiang in response to concerns over forced labour, as US companies find themselves caught in the diplomatic fray.

President Joe Biden signed a law Thursday virtually banning all imports from the Chinese region of Xinjiang in response to concerns over forced labour, as US companies find themselves caught in the diplomatic fray. The bill, which was approved by Congress last week, bans the import of all goods from the region unless companies offer verifiable proof that production did not involve forced labour. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act sets its sights on three products in particular: cotton, of which Xinjiang is one of the world's major producers; tomatoes; and polysilicon, a material used to produce solar panels. In a rare bipartisan move, the Senate last week unanimously voted to make the United States the first country to ban virtually all imports from the region. The vote came despite lobbying by US firms, many of which are heavily dependent on Chinese suppliers and already facing massive disruption due to trade disturbances caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The law gives the government "new tools to prevent goods made with forced labour in Xinjiang from entering US markets and to further promote accountability for persons and entities responsible for these abuses," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement, calling on China to end "genocide and crimes against humanity." The law also requires the US president to impose sanctions on Chinese officials responsible for human rights abuses in the region. Beijing on Friday slammed the measure, accusing the United States of "violating international law" and "maliciously slandering" China. China's foreign ministry urged the United States to "immediately correct its mistakes," threatening to "make a further response," in a statement. An estimated 20 per cent of garments imported into the United States each year include some cotton from Xinjiang. Rights experts, witnesses and the US government say more than one million Uyghurs and other Turkic-speaking Muslims are incarcerated in camps in an effort to root out their Islamic cultural traditions and forcibly assimilate them into China's Han majority. Washington has described the campaign as genocide. Republican opposition has criticized the White House for slow movement on the matter. On Thursday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked about the relative discretion with which Biden signed the text, despite having made countering China a major axis of his foreign policy. The White House released only a photo of the signing on Twitter, while Biden signed a law -- with cameras rolling -- intended to support research against a rare neurodegenerative disease. He signs bills "off camera sometimes (and) sometimes on camera. We support the bill and obviously we've been leading the effort in the world to call out human rights abuses," Psaki said. Washington has already hit some Chinese officials and businesses with sanctions and announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics in protest of the conditions in Xinjiang. Beijing describes the sites as vocational training centers and says it is seeking to reduce the allure of radical Islam following deadly attacks. Implementation of the law and the US offensive against certain Chinese economic interests is causing friction for some companies, such as US semiconductor giant Intel, which on Thursday issued an apology over a letter to its suppliers. In the wake of the US bill's passage in the Senate, the company had asked suppliers to avoid sourcing in the region. Following public outcry in China, the chipmaker expressed its regret for the comments in a statement posted on Weibo, the Chinese social media platform. "We believe the private sector and the international community should oppose the PRC's weaponizing of its markets to stifle support for human rights," Psaki said, using an acronym for the People's Republic of China. "We also think that American companies should never feel the need to apologize for standing up for fundamental human rights or opposing repression," she added.

President Biden bans imports from China's Xinjiang over force labour

American President Joe Biden has signed a new law. This law bans all imports into the US from Xinjiang. Watch this report for more.

US President bans imports from Xinjiang region in China

A far-reaching bill aimed at barring products made with forced labour in China became law after President Joe Biden signed the bill Thursday.

But the next four months — during which the Biden administration will convene hearings to investigate how pervasive forced labour is and what to do about it — will be crucial in determining how far the legislation goes in altering the behaviour of companies that source products from China.

While it is against U.S. law to knowingly import goods made with slave labour, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act shifts the burden of proof to companies from customs officials. Firms will have to proactively prove that their factories, and those of all their suppliers, do not use slavery or coercion.

The law, which passed the House and Senate nearly unanimously, is Washington’s first comprehensive effort to police supply chains that the United States says exploit persecuted minorities, and its impact could be sweeping. A wide range of products and raw materials — such as petroleum, cotton, minerals and sugar — flow from the Xinjiang region of China, where accusations of forced labour proliferate. Those materials are often used in Chinese factories that manufacture products for global companies.

“I anticipate that there will be many companies — even entire industries — that will be taken by surprise when they realize that their supply chains can also be traced back to the Uyghur region,” said Laura Murphy, a professor of human rights and contemporary slavery at Sheffield Hallam University in Britain.

If the law is enforced as written, it could force many companies to rework how they do business or risk having products blocked at the U.S. border. Those high stakes are expected to set off a crush of lobbying by companies trying to ease the burden on their industries as the government writes the guidelines that importers must follow.

“Genuine, effective enforcement will most likely mean there will be pushback by corporations and an attempt to create loopholes,” said Cathy Feingold, the international director of the AFL-CIO. “So the implementation will be key.”

Behind-the-scenes negotiations before the bill’s passage provided an early indication of how consequential the legislation could be for some of America’s biggest companies, as business groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and brand names like Nike and Coca-Cola worked to limit the bill’s scope.

The Biden administration has labelled the Chinese government’s actions in Xinjiang — including the detention of more than 1 million Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities, as well as forced conversions, sterilization and arbitrary or unlawful killings — as genocide.

Human rights experts say that Beijing’s policies of moving Uyghurs into farms and factories that feed the global supply chain is an integral part of its repression in Xinjiang, an attempt to assimilate minorities and strip them of their culture and religion.

In a statement last week, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said that Biden welcomed the bill’s passage and agreed with Congress “that action can and must be taken to hold the People’s Republic of China accountable for genocide and human rights abuses and to address forced labour in Xinjiang.” She added that the administration would “work closely with Congress to implement this bill to ensure global supply chains are free of forced labour.”

Yet some members of the administration argued behind closed doors that the bill’s scope could overwhelm U.S. regulators and lead to further supply chain disruptions at a time when inflation is accelerating at a nearly 40-year high, according to interviews with more than two dozen government officials, members of Congress and their staff. Some officials also expressed concerns that an aggressive ban on Chinese imports could put the administration’s goals for fighting climate change at risk, given China’s dominance of solar panels and components to make them, people familiar with the discussions said.

John Kerry, Biden’s special envoy for climate change, and Wendy R. Sherman, the deputy secretary of state, separately conveyed some of those concerns in calls to Democratic members of Congress in recent months, according to four people familiar with the discussions.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., one of the bill’s lead authors, criticized those looking to limit its impact, saying that companies that want to continue to import products and officials who are reluctant to rock the boat with China “are not just going to give up.” He added, “They’re all going to try to weigh in on how it’s implemented.”

One reason the stakes are so high is because of the critical role that Xinjiang may play in many supply chains. The region, twice the size of Texas, is rich in raw materials like coal and oil and crops like tomatoes, lavender and hops; it is also a significant producer of electronics, sneakers and clothing. By some estimates, it provides one-fifth of the world’s cotton and 45% of the world’s polysilicon, a key ingredient for solar panels.

Xinjiang’s substantial presence in the solar supply chain has been a key source of tension in the Biden administration, which is counting on solar power to help the United States reach its goal of significantly cutting carbon emissions by the end of the decade.

In meetings this year, Biden administration officials weighed how difficult it would be for importers to bypass Xinjiang and relocate supply chains for solar goods and other products, according to three government officials. Officials from the Labor Department and the United States trade representative were more sympathetic to a far-reaching ban on Xinjiang goods, according to three people familiar with the discussions. Some officials in charge of climate, energy and the economy argued against a sweeping ban, saying it would wreak havoc on supply chains or compromise the fight against climate change, those people said.

Ana Hinojosa, who was the executive director of Customs and Border Protection and led the government’s enforcement of forced labour provisions until she left the post in October, said that agencies responsible for “competing priorities” like climate change had voiced concerns about the legislation’s impact. Companies and various government agencies became nervous that the law’s broad authorities could prove “devastating to the U.S. economy,” she said.

“The need to improve our clean energy is real and important, but not something that the government or the U.S. should do on the backs of people who are working under conditions of modern-day slavery,” Hinojosa added.

In a call with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California this year, Kerry conveyed concerns about disrupting solar supply chains while Sherman shared her concerns with Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., according to people familiar with the conversations.

Merkley, one of the lead sponsors of the bill, said in an interview that Sherman told him she was concerned the legislation was not duly “targeted and deliberative.” The conversation was first reported by The Washington Post.

“I think this is a targeted and deliberative approach,” Merkley said. “And I think the administration is starting to see how strongly Republicans and Democrats in both chambers feel about this.”

A State Department official said that Sherman did not initiate the call and did not express opposition to the bill. Whitney Smith, a spokesperson for Kerry, said any accusations he lobbied against the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act were “false.” Pelosi declined to discuss private conversations.

Nury Turkel, a Uyghur American lawyer who is the vice chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, said the United States must “tackle both genocide and ecocide.”

“Policymakers and climate activists are making it a choice between saving the world and turning a blind eye to the enslavement of Uyghurs,” he said. “It is false, and we cannot allow ourselves to be forced into it.”

Administration officials have also argued that the United States can take a strong stance against forced labour while developing a robust solar supply chain. Emily Horne, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, said that Biden “believes what is going on in Xinjiang is genocide” and that the administration had taken a range of actions to combat human rights abuses in the region, including financial sanctions, visa restrictions, export controls, import restrictions and a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics in February.

“We have taken action to hold the PRC accountable for its human rights abuses and to address forced labour in Xinjiang,” Horne said, using the abbreviation for the People’s Republic of China. “And we will continue to do so.”

The law highlights the delicate U.S.-China relationship, in which policymakers must figure out how to confront anti-Democratic practices while the United States is economically dependent on Chinese factories. China remains the largest supplier of goods to the United States.

One of the biggest hurdles for U.S. businesses is determining whether their products touched Xinjiang at any point in the supply chain. Many companies complain that beyond their direct suppliers, they lack the leverage to demand information from the Chinese firms that manufacture raw materials and parts.

Government restrictions that bar foreigners from unfettered access to sites in Xinjiang have made it difficult for many businesses to investigate their supply chains. New Chinese anti-sanctions rules, which threaten penalties against companies that comply with U.S. restrictions, have made vetting even more difficult.

The Chinese government denies forced labour is used in Xinjiang. Zhao Lijian, a government spokesperson, said U.S. politicians were “seeking to contain China and hold back China’s development through political manipulation and economic bullying in the name of ‘human rights.’” He promised a “resolute response” if the bill became law.

Lawmakers struggled over the past year to reconcile a more aggressive House version of the legislation with one in the Senate, which gave companies longer timelines to make changes and stripped out the SEC reporting requirement, among other differences.

The final bill included a mechanism to create lists of entities and products that use forced labour or aid in the transfer of persecuted workers to factories around China. Businesses like Apple had lobbied for the creation of such lists, believing they would provide more certainty for businesses seeking to avoid entities of concern.

A far-reaching bill aimed at barring products made with forced labour in China became law after President Joe Biden signed the bill Thursday. But the next four months — during which the Biden administration will convene hearings to investigate how pervasive forced labour is and what to do about it — will be crucial in determining how far the legislation goes in altering the behaviour of companies that source products from China.

A far-reaching bill aimed at barring products made with forced labour in China became law after President Joe Biden signed the bill Thursday. But the next four months — during which the Biden administration will convene hearings to investigate how pervasive forced labour is and what to do about it — will be crucial in determining how far the legislation goes in altering the behaviour of companies that source products from China. While it is against U.S. law to knowingly import goods made with slave labour, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act shifts the burden of proof to companies from customs officials. Firms will have to proactively prove that their factories, and those of all their suppliers, do not use slavery or coercion. The law, which passed the House and Senate nearly unanimously, is Washington’s first comprehensive effort to police supply chains that the United States says exploit persecuted minorities, and its impact could be sweeping. A wide range of products and raw materials — such as petroleum, cotton, minerals and sugar — flow from the Xinjiang region of China, where accusations of forced labour proliferate. Those materials are often used in Chinese factories that manufacture products for global companies. “I anticipate that there will be many companies — even entire industries — that will be taken by surprise when they realize that their supply chains can also be traced back to the Uyghur region,” said Laura Murphy, a professor of human rights and contemporary slavery at Sheffield Hallam University in Britain. If the law is enforced as written, it could force many companies to rework how they do business or risk having products blocked at the U.S. border. Those high stakes are expected to set off a crush of lobbying by companies trying to ease the burden on their industries as the government writes the guidelines that importers must follow. “Genuine, effective enforcement will most likely mean there will be pushback by corporations and an attempt to create loopholes,” said Cathy Feingold, the international director of the AFL-CIO. “So the implementation will be key.” Behind-the-scenes negotiations before the bill’s passage provided an early indication of how consequential the legislation could be for some of America’s biggest companies, as business groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and brand names like Nike and Coca-Cola worked to limit the bill’s scope. The Biden administration has labelled the Chinese government’s actions in Xinjiang — including the detention of more than 1 million Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities, as well as forced conversions, sterilization and arbitrary or unlawful killings — as genocide. Human rights experts say that Beijing’s policies of moving Uyghurs into farms and factories that feed the global supply chain is an integral part of its repression in Xinjiang, an attempt to assimilate minorities and strip them of their culture and religion. In a statement last week, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said that Biden welcomed the bill’s passage and agreed with Congress “that action can and must be taken to hold the People’s Republic of China accountable for genocide and human rights abuses and to address forced labour in Xinjiang.” She added that the administration would “work closely with Congress to implement this bill to ensure global supply chains are free of forced labour.” Yet some members of the administration argued behind closed doors that the bill’s scope could overwhelm U.S. regulators and lead to further supply chain disruptions at a time when inflation is accelerating at a nearly 40-year high, according to interviews with more than two dozen government officials, members of Congress and their staff. Some officials also expressed concerns that an aggressive ban on Chinese imports could put the administration’s goals for fighting climate change at risk, given China’s dominance of solar panels and components to make them, people familiar with the discussions said. John Kerry, Biden’s special envoy for climate change, and Wendy R. Sherman, the deputy secretary of state, separately conveyed some of those concerns in calls to Democratic members of Congress in recent months, according to four people familiar with the discussions. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., one of the bill’s lead authors, criticized those looking to limit its impact, saying that companies that want to continue to import products and officials who are reluctant to rock the boat with China “are not just going to give up.” He added, “They’re all going to try to weigh in on how it’s implemented.” One reason the stakes are so high is because of the critical role that Xinjiang may play in many supply chains. The region, twice the size of Texas, is rich in raw materials like coal and oil and crops like tomatoes, lavender and hops; it is also a significant producer of electronics, sneakers and clothing. By some estimates, it provides one-fifth of the world’s cotton and 45% of the world’s polysilicon, a key ingredient for solar panels. Xinjiang’s substantial presence in the solar supply chain has been a key source of tension in the Biden administration, which is counting on solar power to help the United States reach its goal of significantly cutting carbon emissions by the end of the decade. In meetings this year, Biden administration officials weighed how difficult it would be for importers to bypass Xinjiang and relocate supply chains for solar goods and other products, according to three government officials. Officials from the Labor Department and the United States trade representative were more sympathetic to a far-reaching ban on Xinjiang goods, according to three people familiar with the discussions. Some officials in charge of climate, energy and the economy argued against a sweeping ban, saying it would wreak havoc on supply chains or compromise the fight against climate change, those people said. Ana Hinojosa, who was the executive director of Customs and Border Protection and led the government’s enforcement of forced labour provisions until she left the post in October, said that agencies responsible for “competing priorities” like climate change had voiced concerns about the legislation’s impact. Companies and various government agencies became nervous that the law’s broad authorities could prove “devastating to the U.S. economy,” she said. “The need to improve our clean energy is real and important, but not something that the government or the U.S. should do on the backs of people who are working under conditions of modern-day slavery,” Hinojosa added. In a call with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California this year, Kerry conveyed concerns about disrupting solar supply chains while Sherman shared her concerns with Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., according to people familiar with the conversations. Merkley, one of the lead sponsors of the bill, said in an interview that Sherman told him she was concerned the legislation was not duly “targeted and deliberative.” The conversation was first reported by The Washington Post. “I think this is a targeted and deliberative approach,” Merkley said. “And I think the administration is starting to see how strongly Republicans and Democrats in both chambers feel about this.” A State Department official said that Sherman did not initiate the call and did not express opposition to the bill. Whitney Smith, a spokesperson for Kerry, said any accusations he lobbied against the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act were “false.” Pelosi declined to discuss private conversations. Nury Turkel, a Uyghur American lawyer who is the vice chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, said the United States must “tackle both genocide and ecocide.” “Policymakers and climate activists are making it a choice between saving the world and turning a blind eye to the enslavement of Uyghurs,” he said. “It is false, and we cannot allow ourselves to be forced into it.” Administration officials have also argued that the United States can take a strong stance against forced labour while developing a robust solar supply chain. Emily Horne, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, said that Biden “believes what is going on in Xinjiang is genocide” and that the administration had taken a range of actions to combat human rights abuses in the region, including financial sanctions, visa restrictions, export controls, import restrictions and a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics in February. “We have taken action to hold the PRC accountable for its human rights abuses and to address forced labour in Xinjiang,” Horne said, using the abbreviation for the People’s Republic of China. “And we will continue to do so.” The law highlights the delicate U.S.-China relationship, in which policymakers must figure out how to confront anti-Democratic practices while the United States is economically dependent on Chinese factories. China remains the largest supplier of goods to the United States. One of the biggest hurdles for U.S. businesses is determining whether their products touched Xinjiang at any point in the supply chain. Many companies complain that beyond their direct suppliers, they lack the leverage to demand information from the Chinese firms that manufacture raw materials and parts. Government restrictions that bar foreigners from unfettered access to sites in Xinjiang have made it difficult for many businesses to investigate their supply chains. New Chinese anti-sanctions rules, which threaten penalties against companies that comply with U.S. restrictions, have made vetting even more difficult. The Chinese government denies forced labour is used in Xinjiang. Zhao Lijian, a government spokesperson, said U.S. politicians were “seeking to contain China and hold back China’s development through political manipulation and economic bullying in the name of ‘human rights.’” He promised a “resolute response” if the bill became law. Lawmakers struggled over the past year to reconcile a more aggressive House version of the legislation with one in the Senate, which gave companies longer timelines to make changes and stripped out the SEC reporting requirement, among other differences. The final bill included a mechanism to create lists of entities and products that use forced labour or aid in the transfer of persecuted workers to factories around China. Businesses like Apple had lobbied for the creation of such lists, believing they would provide more certainty for businesses seeking to avoid entities of concern.

US effort to combat forced labour targets corporate China ties

All Xinjiang imports banned in United States

Chip-maker Intel has apologised after its letter telling suppliers not to source products from Xinjiang region. This action was taken following restrictions by various governments.

Chip-maker Intel apologises after it asks suppliers not to source products from Xinjiang region

US-based chipmaker Intel has issued an apology to China for asking its suppliers to not source any products or labour from Xinjiang region.<o:p></o:p>

Towards the beginning of this month, Intel had sent out an annual letter to its suppliers In which it was mentioned that it had been “required to ensure that its supply chain does not use any labour or source goods or services” from Xinjiang region of China.<o:p></o:p>

Intel’s move was harshly criticised in China as editorials of the Chinese government-backed newspaper, the Global Times, accused the company of biting 'the hand that feeds it'.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-how-china-could-be-driving-up-global-inflation-439433">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-how-china-could-be-driving-up-global-inflation-439433/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"What we need to do is to make it increasingly expensive for companies to offend China so their losses outweigh their gains," the newspaper said in an editorial.<o:p></o:p>

After the criticism, the company had to backtrack on its official word. Intel derives nearly more than a quarter of its $80bn (£60bn) of its annual revenue from the Chinese markets, and had to thus apologise to the people of China and its partners in the region.<o:p></o:p>

"We apologise for the trouble caused to our respected Chinese customers, partners and the public,"&nbsp;Intel&nbsp;said in a post on the social media site WeChat. "To clarify, the paragraph about Xinjiang in the letter is only for expressing the original intention of compliance and legality, not its intention or position."<o:p></o:p>

This controversy has come at a time when the US and other international governments and organisations have been accusing China of abusing human rights in the Xinjiang region. The Chinese government has been accused of harassing the minority Uyghur population through forced labour, torture, scarce basic and human rights. China has repeatedly denied these accusations.<o:p></o:p>

US-based chipmaker Intel has issued an apology to China for asking its suppliers to not source any products or labour from Xinjiang region. Towards the beginning of this month, Intel had sent out an annual letter to its suppliers In which it was mentioned that it had been “required to ensure that its supply chain does not use any labour or source goods or services” from Xinjiang region of China.

US-based chipmaker Intel has issued an apology to China for asking its suppliers to not source any products or labour from Xinjiang region. Towards the beginning of this month, Intel had sent out an annual letter to its suppliers In which it was mentioned that it had been “required to ensure that its supply chain does not use any labour or source goods or services” from Xinjiang region of China. Intel’s move was harshly criticised in China as editorials of the Chinese government-backed newspaper, the Global Times, accused the company of biting 'the hand that feeds it'. WATCH | "What we need to do is to make it increasingly expensive for companies to offend China so their losses outweigh their gains," the newspaper said in an editorial. After the criticism, the company had to backtrack on its official word. Intel derives nearly more than a quarter of its $80bn (£60bn) of its annual revenue from the Chinese markets, and had to thus apologise to the people of China and its partners in the region. "We apologise for the trouble caused to our respected Chinese customers, partners and the public," Intel said in a post on the social media site WeChat. "To clarify, the paragraph about Xinjiang in the letter is only for expressing the original intention of compliance and legality, not its intention or position." This controversy has come at a time when the US and other international governments and organisations have been accusing China of abusing human rights in the Xinjiang region. The Chinese government has been accused of harassing the minority Uyghur population through forced labour, torture, scarce basic and human rights. China has repeatedly denied these accusations.

Intel apologises to Chinese population for hurting their sentiments over Xinjiang comments

The US computer chip maker, Intel is facing a backlash from China after telling its suppliers not to source products or labour from the region of Xinjiang. Intel said it had been “required to ensure that its supply chain does not use any labour or source goods or services” from Xinjiang in accordance with restrictions imposed by “multiple governments”.

US computer chip maker, Intel faces backlash from China

Intel’s decision not to source raw materials and labour from the Xinjiang region is drawing widespread criticism from Chinese celebrities and citizens who are calling for the boycott of their products.

The US-based computer chip giant joins the list of the multinational companies who have been directed to comply with Xinjiang-related trade sanctions while continuing to operate in China, one of their biggest markets.

In a recently published annual letter to suppliers, dated December, Intel said it had been “required to ensure that its supply chain does not use any labour or source goods or services” from Xinjiang in accordance with restrictions imposed by “multiple governments”, reports Reuters.

The Global Times, a tabloid run by the Communist party, called Intel’s statement “absurd”, adding that the company – which earned 26 per cent of its total revenues from China in 2020 – was “biting the hand that feeds it”.

“What we need to do is to make it increasingly expensive for companies to offend China so their losses outweigh their gains,” the newspaper said in an editorial.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/forced-labour-us-house-passes-law-to-ban-imports-from-chinas-xinjiang-435293">'Forced labour': US House passes law to ban imports from China's Xinjiang</a>

On China’s Weibo microblog service, singer Karry Wang said he would no longer serve as brand ambassador for Intel, adding, “national interests exceed everything”.

Other Weibo users called on Chinese citizens to boycott Intel&nbsp;with one post&nbsp;saying,&nbsp;“Must resist, do not buy!”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uighur-forced-labour-xinjiang-exports-to-us-on-rise-despite-sanctions-382210">Uighur forced labour: Xinjiang exports to US on rise despite sanctions</a>

In July, Swedish fashion retailer H&amp;M reported a 23% hit in local currency sales in China for its March-May quarter after it expressed concerns about human rights in Xinjiang.

On December 9, the US government had passed a law&nbsp;banning imports from China's Xinjiang region because of concerns about forced labour.

Watch

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-computer-chip-maker-intel-faces-backlash-from-china-439192/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

China has been accused of conducting mass genocide of Uyghur&nbsp;Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region.

UN experts and rights groups estimate that more than a million people have been detained in concentration camps in recent years.&nbsp;

However, China&nbsp;denies abuses in&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;and says its policies are there to help combat extremism.

(With inputs from agencies)

Intel’s decision not to source raw materials and labour from the Xinjiang region is drawing widespread criticism from Chinese celebrities and citizens who are calling for the boycott of their products.

Intel’s decision not to source raw materials and labour from the Xinjiang region is drawing widespread criticism from Chinese celebrities and citizens who are calling for the boycott of their products. The US-based computer chip giant joins the list of the multinational companies who have been directed to comply with Xinjiang-related trade sanctions while continuing to operate in China, one of their biggest markets. In a recently published annual letter to suppliers, dated December, Intel said it had been “required to ensure that its supply chain does not use any labour or source goods or services” from Xinjiang in accordance with restrictions imposed by “multiple governments”, reports Reuters. The Global Times, a tabloid run by the Communist party, called Intel’s statement “absurd”, adding that the company – which earned 26 per cent of its total revenues from China in 2020 – was “biting the hand that feeds it”. “What we need to do is to make it increasingly expensive for companies to offend China so their losses outweigh their gains,” the newspaper said in an editorial. Also read | 'Forced labour': US House passes law to ban imports from China's Xinjiang On China’s Weibo microblog service, singer Karry Wang said he would no longer serve as brand ambassador for Intel, adding, “national interests exceed everything”. Other Weibo users called on Chinese citizens to boycott Intel with one post saying, “Must resist, do not buy!” Also read | Uighur forced labour: Xinjiang exports to US on rise despite sanctions In July, Swedish fashion retailer H&M reported a 23% hit in local currency sales in China for its March-May quarter after it expressed concerns about human rights in Xinjiang. On December 9, the US government had passed a law banning imports from China's Xinjiang region because of concerns about forced labour. Watch China has been accused of conducting mass genocide of Uyghur Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region. UN experts and rights groups estimate that more than a million people have been detained in concentration camps in recent years. However, China denies abuses in Xinjiang and says its policies are there to help combat extremism. (With inputs from agencies)

Calls grow to boycott Intel in China after it raises concerns over Xinjiang forced labour

Tensions between US & China continue to escalate over Xinjiang. China has imposed sanctions on four US officials. This after US targeted Chinese officials and firms with curbs.

Tensions between US & China continue to escalate

China imposes sanctions on US officials

xinjiang

Xinjiang, News on Xinjiang, stories on Xinjiang, articles on Xinjiang, Xinjiang stories at Wion, Xinjiang news, Xinjiang latest news