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On Thursday, US President Joe Biden signed a law banning the import of goods from China's Xinjiang region, unless companies can prove that they are not made by forced labor, in a move that will increase tensions over Beijing's treatment of the country's Uyghur minority, according to the German News Agency.
The bill passed unanimously in the House and Senate earlier this month, revealing that both Republicans and Democrats are largely aligned against China policy despite Washington's deep partisan divisions on most major issues.
The action is motivated by concern over the persecution of Uyghur Muslims in a region that is key to the world's supply chains.
Xinjiang is a source of cotton used in the garment industry and is a major site for the production of polysilicon used in solar panels, which in turn is critical to the global shift away from fossil fuels.
The new law could pose a major challenge to U.S. corporations and other companies that import materials from Xinjiang for products used in the U.S. even before Biden signs the bill.
The United States' decision to ban imports of goods produced in camps it says impose forced labor on China's Uighur minority has angered Beijing, which has accused Washington of "violating international law" and "tarnishing its reputation".
The law signed by the US president bans products manufactured in whole or in part in China's Xinjiang region, unless companies can prove to customs officers that the goods were not made with forced labor.
The law requires special attention to be paid to imports of three products: cotton, of which Xinjiang is one of the world's leading producers; tomatoes, which are also produced in large quantities in the region; and polysilicon, a material used in the production of photovoltaic panels.
In a statement yesterday (Friday), China's Foreign Ministry criticized the text and accused the US of "violating international law" and "denigrating" China, AFP reported. It called on Washington to "immediately correct its mistakes," threatening to "respond" to the action.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Thursday that the law gives the government "new tools to prevent the entry of products made through forced labor in Xinjiang and to hold accountable the people and entities behind these violations." He called on the Chinese government to end "genocide and crimes against humanity."
In a rare unanimous vote, the Senate on December 16 voted on this text with the support of Democrats and Republicans, who support a tough policy toward Beijing. The vote came despite a lobbying campaign by U.S. companies, some of which rely heavily on supplies in China, and looms as further disruptions to global trade that have already been hit by the pandemic.
The White House said that in signing the text, President Biden specifically thanked Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio, one of the bill's authors. Rubio said in a statement Thursday that the resolution is "the most important and effective action taken to date to hold the CCP accountable for forced labor."
During the legislative process, the Republican opposition criticized the White House for trying to slow down the text. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki was asked why Biden signed the text away from the cameras. The president's office tweeted a photo of Biden signing the text, while on the same day the president signed another law directly in front of the media to support research into a rare neurological disease.
Saki said: "Sometimes he signs laws away from the cameras, sometimes in front of them. "We support this text, and we have led the campaign in the world to denounce human rights violations. Western countries accuse Beijing of imprisoning Uighurs, a Turkic-speaking Muslim minority in western China, in large labor camps.
In addition to the diplomatic tension, the bill sparked a controversy Thursday around US chip giant Intel. Following the Senate's adoption of the text, and after US sanctions on Chinese companies, Intel sent a letter to its suppliers asking them to avoid importing from the region. This sparked protests in China, which the chipmaker tried to calm by issuing a statement Thursday on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. "Our original intention was to ensure compliance with US laws (...). We apologize for the inconvenience we have caused to our valued Chinese customers, partners and the public," it said.
Asked about Intel's statement, Saki said: "We believe the private sector and the international community should oppose China's exploitation of their markets to undermine support for human rights." "We also believe that U.S. companies should never feel the need to apologize for defending basic human rights or opposing oppression."
