Updated 21 July 2020 at 10:26 IST
US sanctions 11 more Chinese companies over human rights abuse in Xinjiang
US Commerce Department blacklisted these companies as it accused China of "campaign of repression" against the Uighurs minority in Xinjiang.
- World News
- 3 min read
On July 20, the US announced sanctions against 11 Chinese firms over human rights abuses against ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region. US Commerce Department blacklisted these companies as it accused China of "campaign of repression" against the Uighurs minority group. New addition now has at least 50 Chinese companies in total on the US Entities List which is restricted to avail US technology and other goods, according to reports.
US Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, said in a statement that the Chinese companies were added on the list maintained by the Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). Accusing China of human rights violation, he added, "Beijing actively promotes the reprehensible practice of forced labour and abusive DNA collection and analysis schemes to repress its citizens.” Further, the statement read, “This action will ensure that our goods and technologies are not used in the Chinese Communist Party's despicable offensive against defenseless Muslim minority populations.”
The PRC's human rights abuses in Xinjiang put businesses at risk of exposing their supply chains to forced labor and other abuses. Businesses must do their due diligence to avoid reputational, economic, and legal risks. Don’t be complicit.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) July 1, 2020
Beijing actively promotes the reprehensible practice of forced labor and abusive DNA collection—Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross.
In the statement, the US launched an attack on the Chinese companies, saying, these firms implicated in human rights violations and abuses by supporting People's Republic of China's campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, forced labor, involuntary collection of biometric data, and genetic analyses. Of those sanctioned, the nine leading Chinese companies are Changji Esquel Textile, Hefei Bitland Information Technology, Hefei Meiling, Hetian Haolin Hair Accessories, Hetian Taida Apparel, KTK Group, Nanjing Synergy Textiles, Nanchang O-Film Tech, and Taiyuan Technology that the US accused of “forced labour”.
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Mike Pompeo condemns violations
Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called China's treatment of Uighurs "the stain of the century." However, China's ambassador to the United Kingdom Liu Xiaoming dismissed the allegations, saying, that Uighur people in China live in “peaceful and harmonious coexistence with other ethnic groups,” on the live-streamed program. His statements come as the CCTV clip, which first appeared in October 2019, recently started making rounds on the internet prompting debate about human rights abuse of ethnic minorities in China.
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The United States condemns the use of forced population controls against Uyghur and other minority women and calls on the CCP to cease its campaign of repression. History will judge how we act today.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) June 29, 2020
Last month, a New York-based news agency reported that China was engaging in a sweeping campaign of forced birth control and sterilization on Uighurs and other minorities. The report stressed that the abuses were far more widespread and systematic than was previously known, having described the scenario as ‘demographic genocide.’
(Image Credit: AP)
Published By : Zaini Majeed
Published On: 21 July 2020 at 10:26 IST