‘Slave labour’: America’s brutal new moves against China exports and immigration

The United States has ramped up pressure on China by blocking imports of cotton it says are harvested with “slave labour”, and hitting Chinese Communist Party members with tough new entry rules.

Regarding the cotton ban, senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official Ken Cuccinelli said: “The human rights abuses taking place at the hands of the Chinese Communist government will not be tolerated by President Trump and the American people.”.

Beijing responded by accusing the United States of fabricating “fake news of so-called forced labour” and attempting to “oppress Xinjiang businesses.”.

“Their aim is to constrain and oppress relevant parties and enterprises in China and curb China’s development,” said foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying on Thursday.

She denied there was any forced labour in Xinjiang, saying workers in the region “choose occupations based on their own wishes.”.

Xinjiang is a global hub for cotton, with one study by a labour group estimating that 20 per cent of the garments imported into the United States contain at least some yarn from the region.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in September that products from Xinjiang forced labour “often end up here in American stores and homes.”.

Meanwhile, Washington also issued new entry rules for Chinese Communist Party members travelling to the United States, the New York Times reported, citing the State Department.

The new policy — which took immediate effect on Wednesday — caps visas of Communist Party members and their immediate families to one month and a single entry into the country, the report said.