The authorities of China have expressed this Thursday their outright rejection of the decision of the United States to add three biotechnology companies from the country, among them BGI Genomics, to a list of banned entities within the framework of the US legislation against the forced labor of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang, in the northwest of the country, and have warned that they will adopt the "necessary measures" to protect their interests.
The Department of Homeland Security of the United States communicated on Wednesday the inclusion of these companies in the register provided for by the so-called Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, considering that they are related to forced labor practices in this Chinese region.
In reaction to this announcement, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce has denounced that Washington's resolution lacks "factual basis" and has accused the US Administration of using the argument of Human Rights as a pretext to apply protectionist measures and increase pressure on Chinese companies.
"In China there is no so-called 'forced labor'", the ministerial representative has emphasized in statements released by the state-owned channel CGTN, underscoring that the different ethnic groups of Xinjiang enjoy equal employment opportunities and legal protection of their rights in the field of employment.
Beijing has recalled that it already presented formal complaints and put countermeasures into motion in the face of previous inclusions of Chinese companies in this list, and has underscored that the new restrictions damage the economic ties between the two powers and violate the commitments reached by their respective heads of State.
Along these same lines, the spokesperson has called on the United States to put an end to its "political maneuvers" and to the smear campaigns against the companies of the Asian country, by maintaining that these actions also clash with humanitarian principles.
On the other hand, the spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Guo Jiakun, reiterated this Thursday in a press conference Beijing's opposition to the US sanctions and accused Washington of spreading "disinformation" about Xinjiang with the aim of discrediting China, destabilizing the area and slowing its development. "China deplores and firmly opposes this measure", he added.
Guo has demanded that the U.S. administration stop interfering in China’s internal affairs and has reaffirmed that Beijing is willing to defend the legitimate rights and interests of its companies. "China will take the necessary measures to firmly safeguard its own interests," he concluded.