This aerial photo taken on Oct. 12, 2023 shows machines harvesting cotton in Korla, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)
URUMQI, Sept. 3, 2024 -- A resolution opposing a series of U.S. sanctions related to northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and providing support for affected companies was unveiled and took effect on Monday, according to the regional legislature.
Passed by the Standing Committee of the 14th Xinjiang Regional People's Congress in August, the resolution stated that the U.S. imposing sanctions on Xinjiang enterprises employing so-called "forced labor," is in fact political manipulation and economic bullying under the guise of human rights protection.
The so-called "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act," which took effect in June 2022, prohibits the entry of Xinjiang goods into the U.S. market in the name of combating "forced labor," damages the rights of Xinjiang enterprises, and causes severe harm to the rights to subsistence and development of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang.
The sanctioned companies involve industries such as textiles and clothing, and silicon-based solar products, which play an important role in promoting high-quality development, creating employment and increasing rural residents' income.
Anwar Abdullah, an entrepreneur and a deputy to the Xinjiang Regional People's Congress, said these labor-intensive enterprises sanctioned by the U.S. are among the most for ordinary people to find jobs and earn money to support their families.
"The purpose of the U.S. is to prevent Xinjiang and its enterprises from developing," he said. "Through sanctions, people in Xinjiang lose their right to development."
Workers confirm the quality of automatically sorted plums at a smart supply chain hub of JD Logistics in Jiashi County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 30, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)
The rights of workers of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are guaranteed and people live harmonious lives, the resolution stated. However, neglecting these facts and such progress, the U.S. maliciously slanders the human rights situation in Xinjiang. U.S. unilateral sanctions and the implementation of long-arm jurisdiction violate international law and business ethics, undermine the stability of global industrial and supply chains, and disrupt the international trade order, said the resolution.
The U.S. gross interference in Xinjiang affairs, which are purely China's internal affairs, seriously violates international law and the basic principles of international relations, and is opposed by people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, it added.
The resolution aims to expose to both the international community and the people of Xinjiang, what is clearly a sinister U.S. intention in implementing sanctions against Xinjiang, and to reveal the U.S. suppression of the region's enterprises and its undermining of Xinjiang's social stability and development.
It demanded that the U.S. stop unwarranted sanctions, infringement of labor rights and other wrongdoings. It urged the U.S. to restore a fair market environment for sanctioned enterprises, a development environment in which people in Xinjiang can pursue a happy life, and a fair economic, trade and rule of law environment for the international community.
Xinjiang is committed to supporting the enterprises and industries affected by U.S. sanctions based on false accusations of "forced labor," according to the resolution.
Regional legislative bodies at all levels are urged to expedite the legislation of relevant laws to provide legal support for these sanctioned enterprises and relevant industries.
Local governments are encouraged to help sanctioned companies expand their domestic and international markets, promote their products, boost innovation, and strengthen the appeal of company brands.
In addition, relevant judicial authorities are urged to actively provide legal support to these companies, and to help defend their rights.
Sanctioned companies should make efforts to use legal measures to protect their rights, modernize management, increase technological innovation, improve product quality, enhance core competitiveness, and expand markets while seeking new opportunities, among others.
Female employees operate at a workshop of Xinjiang Middle Hoshine Silicon Industry in the suburb of Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Gao Han)
Cheng Yufeng, head of a silicon manufacturer based in Xinjiang, said that after being sanctioned by the U.S., the company has seen a decline in profits and headwinds in business. However, the company has secured jobs and ensured workers' income does not decline through innovation, expanding domestic business, and other ways, he added.
"With help and care from all walks of life, our enterprise will have more room for development," he said.
