While Xinjiang cotton has been at the center of global concerns about Uyghur forced labor and has been one of the major targets of the U.S. federal law “Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act,” China has never decreased its efforts to increase profits from the cotton and its propaganda about “Xinjiang Cotton.”
According to Xinjiang Daily, the propaganda outlet of Xinjiang government, “This year, Xinjiang’s total cotton production reached 5.12 million tons, accounting for over 90% of the national total.”
The news said “On the 25th, data on national cotton production released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that in 2023, Xinjiang’s cotton production reached 5.12 million tons, accounting for over 90% of the national total. This marks the fifth consecutive year that Xinjiang’s total cotton production has remained stable at over 5 million tons, with the area, yield, total production, and commodity output maintaining its position as the top in the country for 29 consecutive years.The data indicates a decrease in the nationwide cotton planting area, reaching 41.822 million mu, a reduction of 3.183 million mu compared to the previous year, a decrease of 7.1%. Xinjiang has guided the withdrawal of cotton planting in sub-optimal areas with climate risks, intercropping of cotton with fruit crops, and low-quality and inefficient cotton fields without water source guarantee. The cotton planting area in Xinjiang is 35.54 million mu, a decrease of 1.914 million mu compared to the previous year, a decrease of 5.1%.”
