Brands Accused of Using Forced Chinese Labor: AFP

Human rights advocates have long criticized China for detaining about 1 million Uighurs for reeducation. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute reports that China has transferred about 80,000 Uighurs to factories around the country behind 80 global brands including Apple, BMW, Gap, Huawei, Nike, Mercedes-Benz, Samsung and Sony. “Companies using forced Uighur labour in their supply chains could find themselves in breach of laws which prohibit the importation of goods made with forced labour or mandate disclosure of forced labour supply chain risks," Agence France-Presse writes about the report. The institute urges companies to inspect factories and take steps to prevent forced labor. Several companies point out that the problem may be with indirect suppliers, with one describing how Xinjiang region is avoided. “China's foreign ministry slammed the ASPI report as having ‘no factual basis’, and accused the institute of attempting to ‘smear China's efforts to oppose terrorism and fight extremism in Xinjiang,’” AFP reports. “After initially denying their existence, Beijing cast the facilities as ‘vocational education centres where “students’ learn Mandarin and job skills in an effort to steer them away from religious extremism, terrorism and separatism." – YaleGlobal