On Thursday (23 December). US
President Joe Biden signed a bill that bans the import of all goods from the
Xinjiang region of China, following claims of forced labour in the region.
The US along with the EU, the UK and Canada have
already banned the import of Xinjiang cotton so this new bill takes the nation’s
response one step further.
He said at the time: “We will not turn a blind eye to the CCP’s
ongoing crimes against humanity, and we will not allow corporations a free pass
to profit from those horrific abuses.”
China has denied the claims of
forced labour and believes its policies are lifting the region out of poverty,
boosting the economy and countering extremism. It has hit the US and
its allies with retaliatory sanctions, straining broader relations with a range
of countries.
According to Bloomberg, Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters at a regular press briefing in Beijing
earlier this year: “The US side hypes up Xinjiang-related forced labour. The
true motive is to damage the prosperity and stability in Xinjiang, deprive the
Xinjiang people of their right to life, employment and development.”
By Just Style