Beijing Blasts US Lawmakers on Forced Labor Accusations

U.S. allegations of forced labor in Xinjiang are the “lie of the century,” perpetuated by the Congressional Executive Commission on China (CECC), a group that's “biased” against Beijing and has “no political credibility at all,” said a Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Thursday, according to an official English translation. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Reps. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and Chris Smith, R-N.J., all members of the CECC, wrote International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach Wednesday seeking “assurances” the cotton that Chinese sportswear companies Anta Sports and Hengyuanxiang Group source from Xinjiang was produced free of human rights violations. Since cotton made in Xinjiang is “synonymous with forced labor and the systematic repression that takes place there,” there exists the “worrisome possibility that IOC personnel or others attending the 2022 Olympic Games will be wearing clothing contaminated by forced labor,” they said. The IOC didn’t respond to emailed requests for comment.