Chinese Cotton Association opposes US crackdown on companies over forced labor allegations.

A Chinese industry association has strongly opposed the United States' decision to add 43 Chinese companies, including cotton textile companies, to the so-called "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List," saying the move seriously violates basic rules of international trade, according to a report by the Xinhua news agency. The China Cotton Association (CCA) said in a statement released Saturday that the U.S. allegations of "forced labor" lack factual and legal basis, noting that China's cotton industry has consistently followed a market-oriented and modern development path. In Xinjiang, a major cotton-producing region in China, more than 90% of cotton harvesting is currently done by machines, with highly automated and large-scale operations covering the entire industrial chain, from planting and harvesting to processing and textile production, according to the association. The labor rights and interests of cotton producers and industry workers are strictly protected by Chinese law, and their employment choices are completely voluntary, it said. "There is no such thing as 'forced labor'." The US measure disregards the facts and imposes a "presumption of guilt" on Chinese companies, the association said, adding that the true intention behind such a move is to politicize and instrumentalize human rights issues in an attempt to contain the development of China's textile and cotton industries. The sanctions will also harm the stability of global cotton industrial and supply chains and infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, according to the CCA. China's cotton industry is confident and capable of overcoming the challenges posed by external pressure, the association said, noting that China has the most complete cotton and textile industrial chains in the world, a vast domestic consumer market, and an increasingly diversified international market disposition. The association said it will continue to support and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese cotton and textile companies.

This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.