WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of U.S. lawmakers is urging the Biden administration to impose a ban on seafood processed in two Chinese provinces that have been associated with rights abuses. Additionally, they are calling for a prohibition on Chinese facilities engaged in forced labor from conducting business with American companies.
This request was formally communicated to the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday by the chairs of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. The commission, a congressional group responsible for overseeing China’s adherence to international human rights standards, made the appeal.
This marks the latest attempt by U.S. lawmakers to restrict the importation of Chinese goods on the basis of human rights violations. This move is expected to provoke discontent from Beijing, particularly amidst ongoing trade tensions and other disputes.
The commission referenced investigations conducted by The Outlaw Ocean Project, an independent journalism organization, which exposed human rights abuses on China’s fishing fleet and the exploitation of forced labor from Uyghur ethnic minority groups in seafood processing plants located in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong. The commission argued that implementing sanctions would be necessary in order to comply with U.S. laws prohibiting the entry of goods produced with forced labor.
In addition, the commission revealed new evidence suggesting that as many as 80,000 North Koreans are employed in seafood processing facilities in the northeastern Chinese province of Liaoning.
China has vehemently denied allegations regarding the forced labor of Uyghurs in factories located far away from their communities. The Chinese government asserts that their programs aim to create better job opportunities for Uyghurs and that these initiatives are well-received by the Uyghur population. Beijing accuses Washington of exploiting this issue as a pretext to impede China’s growth and development.
China has been accused of engaging in widespread detention, repression, and ideological indoctrination of Uyghurs, a majority of whom identify as Muslims.
