Xinjiang Council for the Promotion of International Trade: strongly condemn any stigmatization of the bad practices of Xinjiang cotton

In recent years, anti-China forces in the United States and the West have deliberately fabricated the charges of "forced labor" to continuously suppress and impose sanctions on the cotton and textile and garment supply chains in Xinjiang. Recently, a number of international clothing brands issued a statement banning Xinjiang cotton, seriously damaging the reputation of Xinjiang and even China's cotton textile industry, causing a bad impact. It is an important mission of CCPIT Xinjiang to protect the reputation of foreign trade enterprises and the legitimate rights and interests of workers of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang according to law. The anti-China slander by the US and Western forces has seriously damaged the interests of Xinjiang textile and garment enterprises and the reputation and dignity of workers of all ethnic groups. We express our strong indignation and firm opposition here!

In fact, the xinjiang cotton and textile and clothing industry has always been the safeguard employment rights maintaining human dignity, as one of the basic content of protecting human rights, and actively practice the international labor and human rights standards, fully respect the employee will, in accordance with the law, safeguard the labor rights of the masses of all nationalities, and efforts to improve environmental and labor conditions, there is no any "forced labor".

In Xinjiang, what farmers grow is their own choice. Cotton is more profitable than grain, and farmers have more incentive to grow cotton. From sowing to harvesting, and then to selling, all steps are free and autonomous, without any reason or need for interference or coercion. In the past to the cotton season, due to the high cotton income, will attract Henan, Sichuan, Gansu and other places of the Han migrant workers to take the train to Xinjiang cotton, known as the "cotton army", the local also has some farmers to join the "cotton army" of voluntary ranks, the use of this opportunity to increase income, completely without "forced". With the popularization of machine-picked cotton, the amount of labor needed to pick cotton has been greatly reduced, and there is no need for "forced labor" at all.

Xinjiang textile and garment enterprises will always put the worker as fundamental basis, ensure the worker of all nationalities shall have the right of equal employment opportunities and employment rights, has always been committed to create a fair, free, guaranteed employment environment, in order to attract and retain employees of all nationalities, especially minority workers, arouse their work enthusiasm, initiative and creativity, improve their labor skills, cultural quality, realize the long-term development of enterprise and worker individual development together. Textile and garment enterprises employ employees through independent recruitment, and employees of different nationalities, genders and religions are treated equally. Enterprises sign labor contracts with employees, provide them with necessary remuneration, provide good working and living conditions, and provide halal food for employees of relevant ethnic minorities, so as to ensure that their work is comfortable, their lives secure and their families secure. Trade unions have been established in all enterprises to protect the legitimate rights and interests of all employees, including those of ethnic minorities. Some textile and garment enterprises implement labor and social standards such as BSCI (Business Social Standards Certification) and SLCP (Social Labor Integration Project), and some of them have accepted and passed the human rights assessment made by foreign third-party evaluation institutions. For example, in 2019, the accuracy index of Aksu Huafu Textile Co., Ltd. in the "Social Labor Integration Project" (SLCP) audit reached 96.9%, fully proving that there is no so-called "forced labor" in the enterprise.

The legitimate rights and interests of ethnic minority workers who work in Xinjiang textile and garment enterprises are effectively protected. Ethnic minorities in Xinjiang have the right to choose their own jobs. After working in textile and garment enterprises, they voluntarily sign labor contracts with these enterprises and establish labor relations protected by law. Their personal freedom has never been restricted. Ethnic minority employees enjoy equal pay for equal work, and enjoy the same benefits of old-age insurance, medical insurance, unemployment insurance, work-related injury insurance and maternity insurance. Ethnic minority employees' customs and habits, freedom of religious belief and the right to use their own spoken and written languages are fully respected and guaranteed. After stable employment in textile and garment enterprises, many ethnic minority workers also introduce their relatives, relatives and fellow townspeople to the enterprises to find jobs.

Facts have proved that the so-called "forced labor" of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang is a completely unfounded and unreasonable lie. It is nothing but rumors, slanders and distortions, and seriously contravens facts. The western anti-china forces to ignore the xinjiang safeguard people's right to survival and development in the economic and social development made great achievements, ignoring the people of all ethnic groups in xinjiang voluntary employment business objective facts, imagination xinjiang "forced labor" fallacy, wanton suppress xinjiang related enterprises, a serious violation of international law and international relations basic principles, openly in violation of the principle of market economy and free trade rules and disrupt the global industrial chain, supply chain, value chain and the interests of all parties, power politics and naked bullying behavior, seriously affected the laborer's reputation and dignity of all nationalities in xinjiang, the serious influence on employment rights and interests of the masses of all nationalities to normal, It severely affected the normal production and operation of relevant enterprises, and exposed their sinister intentions of "making Xinjiang into China" by suppressing enterprises in Xinjiang, depriving ethnic minority workers of their employment rights, undermining ethnic relations, and hindering Xinjiang's economic and social development. We strongly urge some overseas institutions and personnel to face up to the facts, put aside their prejudices, immediately stop hyping up the so-called "forced labor" issue, immediately stop imposing any restrictions on the textile and garment supply chain and related products in Xinjiang, and resolutely defend the rights and interests of enterprises in Xinjiang.

At present, global trade is advancing together if it is connected, and falling apart if it is closed. We sincerely invite representatives of relevant international organizations, trade and investment promotion agencies, business associations and the business community, especially the business community of the United States, to visit Xinjiang and witness a real Xinjiang where workers of all ethnic groups find their place and social development is thriving. We believe that such nonsense will not at all interfere with the process of prosperity and stability in Xinjiang, nor will it stop the workers of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang from pursuing a better life. We hope that our friends in the business community will not be misled by the absurd and confused thinking and logic of some anti-China politicians. Instead, we will promote all-round and high-quality economic and trade cooperation and work together for a better future.