The U.S. State Department has published its annual report on human trafficking, listing China among 13 countries with a consistent pattern of trafficking activities.
Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) commented on the findings, stating, “China’s genocide of ethnic and religious minorities in Xinjiang is a human trafficking nightmare under which hundreds of thousands of innocent people are arbitrarily imprisoned and forced into labor camps. Last year, China made billions of dollars off of these heinous acts. That’s why American companies must do more to comply with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and make sure their supply chains are not using products made with forced labor.”
According to the State Department’s report, released Monday, “3.9 million individuals are exploited by state-imposed forced labor in China and several other countries. These forms of exploitation generate an estimated $236 billion in illegal proceeds annually and, through complex supply chains, can connect legitimate companies and unknowing consumers to this human rights abuse.”
The report also notes a shift in government practices, stating, “governments have shifted from imposing detention center labor to creating so-called economic development or communal service opportunities and then requiring workers to participate in them. China has developed 'poverty alleviation' programs in the Xinjiang region in an attempt to compel the labor of Uyghurs and other persecuted groups.”
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act was passed in the United States to prevent goods made with forced labor in Xinjiang from entering the U.S. market. The law places the burden on companies to prove that their supply chains are free from forced labor, reflecting ongoing concerns about the connection between global supply chains and human rights abuses in the region.
