China warned the United States that if it bans imports from Xinjiang, it would “severely” damage ties between the two nations, Bloomberg reports.
The rhetoric further escalates a dispute between the U.S. and China over human rights.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that if the new law banning imports from companies unless they prove they’re completely free of forced labor, it will “severely disrupt normal cooperation” between the countries, as well as global industrial and production chains.
Zhao urged America to not implement the law, titled the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
If the U.S. does move forward with the law, Zhao threatened that China would take “robust measures”.
The comments show the ongoing dispute between the two largest economies in the world.
The law is set to come into effect on June 21.
The White House has signaled that it’s prepared to take a tough stance in order to enforce the ban. Customs and Border Protection officials have warned companies that the bar for clearing imports from companies there will be “very high.”
The acting executive director of the new task force implementing thelaw, Elva Muneton, said that if there is a part of a piece of an input coming from Xinjiang, then that shipment will be considered to contain forced labor, and will not be allowed into the U.S.
Under the new law, the U.S. assumes anything made within Xinjiang will be a product of forced labor, and therefore cannot be imported. Only when companies can provide “clear and compelling evidence” that no forced labor was used will the part be allowed in.
The law was passed by Congress in December. It steps up American efforts to combat China’s alleged repression of Uyghur and other minorities in the Xinjiang region. Many human rights organizations and experts in human rights have said that China is committing genocide against the Uyghur people.
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