BEIJING — The China Cotton Association (CCA) has issued a statement strongly opposing the United States’ decision to add 43 Chinese companies, including cotton textile firms, to the so-called “Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List”.

The association said the U.S. allegations of “forced labor” lack factual and legal basis, noting that China’s cotton industry has consistently followed a market-oriented and modern development path. In Xinjiang, a major cotton-producing region, more than 90 percent of cotton harvesting is now carried out by machines, with highly automated and large-scale operations covering the entire industrial chain from planting and harvesting to processing and textile production. The labour rights and interests of cotton farmers and industry workers are strictly protected by Chinese laws, and their employment choices are completely voluntary, the association said.

The CCA said the U.S. move disregards facts and imposes a “presumption of guilt” on Chinese companies, adding that the true intent behind such a move is to politicize and weaponize human rights issues in an attempt to contain the development of China’s cotton and textile industries. The sanctions will also undermine the stability of global cotton industrial and supply chains and infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.

China’s cotton industry is confident in and capable of overcoming challenges posed by external pressure, the association said, noting that China has the world’s most complete cotton and textile industrial chains, a vast domestic consumer market and an increasingly diversified international market layout. The association said it will continue to support and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese cotton and textile enterprises.