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The businesses with supply chain and investment ties to China’s Xinjiang province face potential legal consequences in the US, owing to increasing proofs of genocide and human right abuses in the north-western region of the world’s most populous country.
The Biden administration alleged that the communist regime of China “continues its horrific abuses” in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang) and elsewhere in China – targeting Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and ethnic Kyrgyz who are predominantly Muslim.
These include widespread, state-sponsored forced labour and intrusive surveillance, forced population control measures, separation of children from families, mass detention, and other human rights abuses amidst ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity, the statement released on Tuesday alleged.
“Given the severity and extent of these abuses, businesses and individuals that do not exit supply chains, ventures, and/or investments connected to Xinjiang could run a high risk of violating the US law,” a joint statement by six different US departments stated.
The US Department of State joined hands with the US Department of the Treasury, the US Department of Commerce, the US Department of Homeland Security, the Office of the US Trade Representative, and the US Department of Labour, in a bid to come up with this advisory.
Harsher than the previous ones, the new warning is set to further tighten the noose on the Chinese businesses regarding the risks and potential exposure to supply chains and investment links to Xinjiang. Having links to the Xinjiang region may lead to many legal consequences for the businesses, starting from the increased surveillance, as the US government alleges that there has been widespread evidence of China using forced labour in the region.
Earlier last week, the US had added 14 more Chinese firms and other entities to its economic blacklist over alleged human rights abuses and high-tech surveillance in the Xinjiang region of China. Prior to this, in March, the US had sanctioned two Chinese officials, for their role in human right abuses in the region.
China’s actions in the Xinjiang region have been under widespread scrutiny, drawing global criticism . However, the Chinese government has repeatedly rubbished the allegations.
