Britain s M&S backs call to stop forced labour in China s Xinjiang 07 Jan 2021 / 01:29 H.
By Kieran Guilbert
LONDON, Jan 6 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - British retailer Marks & Spencer on Wednesday became one of the first major brands to back a drive to stop forced labour in cotton and garment sourcing from China s Xinjiang region.
M&S signed a call to action by The Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region - consisting of more than 300 civil society groups - to cut ties with suppliers in China that profit from the forced labour of the ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims.
China accused of forcing 570,000 people to pick cotton in Xinjiang
Tuesday, 15 December 2020 16:35 GMT
FILE PHOTO: A worker is seen in Youngor s cotton spinning factory, in Aksu, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, December 1, 2015. To match Insight CHINA-XINJIANG/COTTON REUTERS/Dominique Patton
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By Emma Batha
LONDON, Dec 15 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - China is forcing hundreds of thousands of ethnic Uighurs and other minorities to pick cotton by hand, a U.S. think-tank said, sparking calls for governments to ban all cotton imports from the Xinjiang region.
4 Min Read
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - China is forcing hundreds of thousands of ethnic Uighurs and other minorities to pick cotton by hand, a U.S. think-tank said, sparking calls for governments to ban all cotton imports from the Xinjiang region.
The vast western province, home to about 11 million ethnic Uighurs, produces 85% of China’s cotton and 20% of the global supply, which is used by fashion brands worldwide.
The Washington-based Center for Global Policy said in a report it was very likely a major share of cotton from Xinjiang was “tainted with forced labour”.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin dismissed the allegations.