European Union lawmakers are set to vote to ban products made using forced labour under a new law that has China in its sights, risking tensions with Beijing.

The law to be voted on on Tuesday does not directly mention China, but many lawmakers hope it will be used to block imports from China involving the region where the Uighur Muslim minority lives.

Human rights groups say at least 1 million people, mostly members of Muslim minorities, have been detained in China’s northwestern Xinjiang region and face a series of abuses, including forced sterilisation of women and coerced labour.

With the European Parliament’s green light after a vote in Strasbourg, France, the draft text will officially become law following final approval by the EU’s 27 member states.

  • HSR🏴‍☠️@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    6 months ago

    So if it turned out Saudi Arabia and UAE were using slave labor during oil extraction, we’d ban oil imports from there, right?

  • 0x815@feddit.deOP
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    6 months ago

    Stories of Uyghur Forced Labour

    Numerous reports have highlighted the scale and forms of state-imposed forced labour in the Uyghur Region. Behind every report, there are individuals with families and friends, and communities being exploited and forced to work against their will. Learn about the experiences of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and Kyrgyz who have been directly impacted by state-imposed forced labour in the Uyghur Region.

    Forced Labour - SOS from a Chinese Prisoner - (documentary, 95 min)

    A desperate cry for help written in Chinese was discovered in a pregnancy test sold in France and made in a Chinese factory. It revealed a hidden world of Chinese prison-companies where prisoners are forced to work for 15 hour days manufacturing products for export. This documentary tries to find out who wrote the letter.