In an escalating dispute between nations regarding Uyghur forced labor accusations, China has announced sanctions against a US company and two human rights researchers. The affected company, Kharon, based in Los Angeles, focuses on identifying sanctions and compliance risks for organizations. China, through Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning, declared the freezing of any assets held by Kharon in the nation.Edmund Xu, the director of investigations at Kharon, and Nicole Morgret have been prohibited from entering China, and any assets they may have in the country have been frozen. Morgret, identified as an analyst at the Center for Advanced Defense Studies on her LinkedIn page, is also subject to these restrictions.
Chinese foreign ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning also stated that the “United States, once again, concocts and spreads false narratives about Xinjiang, using the so-called human rights issue in Xinjiang as a pretext to impose illegal sanctions on Chinese officials and companies. This severely interferes with China’s internal affairs, blatantly violates international law and basic norms of international relations, seriously tarnishes China’s image, and significantly harms the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese officials and companies concerned. China strongly opposes and condemns this, and has lodged a solemn representation with the United States in response.”
According to sanctions, Chinese companies are barred from engaging with Kharon, Xu, or Morgret, although the impact is mostly symbolic due to their limited business or property connections in China.
This move follows the US sanctions on Chinese officials earlier this month, accusing them of human rights abuses against minority groups, including Uyghurs in “Xinjiang”(Uyghur homeland/ET). The US has been actively addressing forced labor concerns through measures such as the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, restricting imports from “Xinjiang” unless proven free from forced labor ties.
The Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) expresses deep concern over the recently announced sanctions targeting research on Uyghur forced labor in global supply chains, the latest salvo in the Chinese government’s campaign of intimidation.
“Attempts to censor and intimidate credible researchers and advocates only demonstrates the desperation of the Chinese government to shut down critical voices,” said UHRP Executive Director, Omer Kanat.
China, consistently denying allegations of forced labor, denounced the US for spreading false narratives about “Xinjiang” (Uyghur homeland/ET).The recent sanctions mark another chapter in the ongoing tensions between the two countries over various issues, including “Xinjiang”.
