Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party have urged the State Department to increase diplomacy to combat Chinese forced labor globally, especially towards the European Union.

In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the lawmakers expressed their concerns about goods made by Uyghur forced labor flooding into Europe and the United Kingdom. They emphasized the importance of working with allies and partners to ensure that companies profiting off the CCP’s ongoing genocide in Xinjiang find no safe markets for their products.

The letter highlighted the need for the State Department to intensify its global diplomatic efforts against PRC state-sponsored forced labor programs. Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi requested that the State Department brief the Select Committee by April 30th on its strategy to engage allies and partners on the issue.

The lawmakers emphasized the significance of recent agreements and legislative actions aimed at banning products made with forced labor. They expressed concerns about certain EU countries considering voting against the ban, which could allow products made by PRC state-sponsored forced labor programs to continue accessing European markets.

Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi called for the State Department to prioritize engagement with European partners and allies, particularly Germany, Italy, and the UK, to address the transnational implications of forced labor. They also requested information on the Department's strategy for global prohibitions against goods produced by PRC’s state-sponsored forced labor programs.

The letter outlined several questions for the State Department, including inquiries about engagement with allies to strengthen forced labor import bans and steps to help countries designate forced labor in specific economic sectors and geographical areas.

The House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party has broad authority to investigate and submit policy recommendations on the status of the Chinese Communist Party’s competition with the United States.

In conclusion, the lawmakers urged the State Department to take decisive action against Chinese forced labor and collaborate with international partners to combat this egregious violation of human rights on a global scale.