Beijing Calls US Blacklist of 43 Chinese Companies 'Economic Coercion'
Quick Look
- The White House added 43 Chinese companies to a blacklist under the Uygur Forced Labour Prevention Act, citing alleged forced labor in Xinjiang.
- Beijing condemned the move as a "classic act of economic coercion," marking the third US measure against China this week.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The US Department of Homeland Security expanded its entity list by 30 percent under the Uygur Forced Labour Prevention Act (UFLPA) to include 43 Chinese companies.
Beijing hit back at the White House decision to add 43 Chinese companies to a blacklist that is meant to block imports allegedly made in Xinjiang using forced labour, describing them as a “classic act of economic coercion”.
Friday’s sanctions were the third time this week that Washington announced measures aimed at China.
Enforcing the Uygur Forced Labour Prevention Act (UFLPA), the Department of Homeland Security increased its entity list by 30 per cent to include companies in sectors ranging from food and cotton to pharmaceuticals, metals and lithium production.
“The newly listed entities are connected to the production and sale of goods made in Xinjiang or with the forced labour of Uygurs and other groups specified in the UFLPA,” said State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott.
He said the sectors covered included gold, copper, transport infrastructure, aluminium, tomatoes, cotton, garments and frozen food.
Open Questions
- What are the specific names of the 43 blacklisted companies?
- What is the immediate financial impact on the affected companies?
- How will China retaliate against these new US measures?
