China condemns US over Uyghur forced labor sanctions

China's Commerce Ministry on Saturday strongly condemned the United States for adding more than 40 Chinese firms to its import blacklist over alleged forced labor ties, calling the move "economic coercion" and vowing to protect domestic enterprises, according to state media.

Beijing denounces 'unilateral sanctions'

A spokesperson for the ministry said the designations "lacked a factual basis" and accused Washington of using human rights allegations as a pretext to impose unilateral measures under domestic law, Xinhua News Agency reported. The ministry warned that the sanctions would harm the legitimate rights of Chinese enterprises and disrupt global industrial and supply chains.

The spokesperson also criticized the timing of the announcement, noting the measures were unveiled a day after Chinese and US trade officials held what Beijing described as "candid and constructive" talks on maintaining stable bilateral economic relations. China reiterated its opposition to forced labor while rejecting allegations of abuses in the northwestern Xinjiang region, urging Washington to stop what it called the politicization of human rights issues.

US expands import blacklist

The US on Friday added 43 Chinese companies to its Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) entity list, marking the first expansion under the Trump administration and the largest single addition since the law took effect in December 2021. The designations effectively bar imports of goods from the listed entities unless companies can prove with clear evidence that their supply chains are free of forced labor.

Xinjiang is home to more than 10 million Uyghurs, a Turkic Muslim group that has long accused Beijing of cultural, religious, and economic discrimination. Chinese authorities have consistently denied allegations of human rights abuses in the region, calling US accusations interference in internal affairs.