Chinese top legislature on Friday expressed strong opposition to the US signing the "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act" into law.
This new law, signed by US President Joe Biden on Thursday, gives Washington new tools to prevent goods made with forced labour in Xinjiang from entering US markets. It further claims to promote accountability for persons and entities responsible for these abuses.
In a statement, the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's National People's Congress said the US act fabricates the "forced labour" issue in Xinjiang and grossly interferes in their internal affairs under the pretext of human rights.
"Should the United States choose to go down the wrong path, China will take resolute and forceful countermeasures," said the statement. It added that there is no such thing as "forced labour" in Xinjiang.
US lawmakers accuse China of imprisoning as many as 1.8 million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and members of other Muslim minority groups in a system of extrajudicial mass internment camps, where they are forced to produce textiles, electronics, food products, shoes, tea, and handicrafts.
Beijing, on the other hand, has repeatedly denied all accusations of being engaged in abuses in Xinjiang.
The US actions come in the backdrop of a growing campaign to boycott Beijing Winter Olympics 2022. Five other countries, along with the United States, have already announced a diplomatic boycott of the games to protest against China's human rights abuses.
Meanwhile, China continues to deny accusations of forced labour or persecution of minority communities.
( With inputs from ANI )
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