All Reading
This section contains a curated list of useful articles, investigations, books and other reading materials. The list is updated on a weekly basis and suggestions for additions are welcome.
Starting Points:
China probes Calvin Klein over Xinjiang cotton
The move marks a new effort by Beijing to fight back against allegations from western officials and human rights activists that goods in the region have been produced using forced labour from the Uyghur ethnic group.
Leaked audit of VW’s Xinjiang plant contains flaws: expert
Volkswagen’s audit of its joint venture plant in Xinjiang — where human rights groups accuse it of using Uyghur forced labor — contains flaws that make it unreliable, said an expert who obtained a copy of the audit.
An Assessment of the Audit of Volkswagen’s Controversial Factory in Xinjiang
This is an analysis of an independent but non-public report requested by Volkswagen following criticism over its continued presence in Xinjiang, a region witnessing mass arbitrary detention and mass forced labor.
Uyghur activists welcome Biden’s call to limit ‘de minimis’ exemption
Critics call the law a ‘loophole’ that allows goods made with slavery to be sold to Americans.
US blacklists five more Chinese firms over Uyghur slavery
The companies produce magnesium and copper for export, and are accused of profiting from the slave labor of Uyghurs trapped in what Beijing calls “poverty alleviation” programs.
Uyghur group wins appeal to probe alleged Uyghur slave labor
Reversing a previous ruling, an appeals court in the UK ordered that the country’s National Crime Agency reconsider whether to investigate if cotton imports from Xinjiang allegedly use Uyghur slave labor.
NCA failure to investigate imports linked to forced Uyghur labour unlawful, court rules
The National Crime Agency’s decision not to launch an investigation into the importation of cotton products manufactured by forced labour in Xinjiang was unlawful, the court of appeal has found.
Activists slam Euro 2024 for Chinese sponsors’ links to Uyghur forced labor
Human rights activists have criticized organizers of the 2024 UEFA European soccer tournament for forging sponsorship contracts with Chinese companies whose supply chains have been found to use Uyghur forced labor.
Human rights group urges UK financial regulator to block Shein’s LSE flotation
Amnesty International UK said Shein’s potential London listing would be a “badge of shame” for the London market because of the fast-fashion firm’s “questionable” labour and human rights standards.
SHEIN flotation would be 'badge of shame' for London Stock Exchange
Reacting to the prospective flotation, an Amnesty International Researcher specialising in the garment industry called it “deeply troubling [for a] company with questionable labour and human rights standards.”
BMW China parts probe expanded by US Senate panel
The head of the US Senate Finance Committee has expanded an investigation of BMW after the car maker was found to have imported vehicles to America that contained banned Chinese parts.
Asleep at the Wheel - Car Companies’ Complicity in Forced Labour in China
In this report, Human Rights Watch outlines how global carmakers are failing to minimize the risk of Uyghur forced labor being used in their aluminum supply chains.
At least 20% of NHS suppliers at ‘high risk’ of modern slavery use, review says
Over a fifth of NHS suppliers providing items including surgical instruments, gloves, gowns and face masks are at “high risk” of using modern slavery, according to a government review.
US sanctions Chinese officials over Uyghur abuse
Three additional companies are also blocked from exporting goods to the US due to the possible use of forced labor.
Volkswagen under fire after audit finds no evidence of Uyghur forced labor
Experts on the region cast doubt on the results, saying official documents show Uyghur detainees from re-education camps were funneled to the factory.
Tailoring Responsibility: Tracing Apparel Supply Chains from the Uyghur Region to Europe
This report provides critical insight into how forced labour-made apparel is moving from the Uyghur Region into high-street and high-end brands operating and selling within the EU.
‘Substantial volume’ of clothing tied to Uyghur forced labour entering EU, says study
The report identifies dozens of well-known brands as having “significant ties” to Xinjiang, via Chinese companies involved in forced labour transfer programmes.
How Uyghur Forced Labor Makes Seafood That Ends Up in School Lunches
Uyghurs and North Koreans are forced to work in Chinese seafood processing plants. But the United States government purchases millions of dollars of this seafood for the military and school lunches.
German company’s Xinjiang partner linked to Chinese forced labor
A German newspaper report into ties between China’s state-sponsored Uyghur labor transfer program and a regional partner of chemical giant BASF prompted criticism that the company is ignoring the possibility of forced labor.
UK solar could be ‘dumping ground’ for products of Chinese forced labour, ministers warned
An amendment to the energy bill, proposed with cross-party support, would require solar energy companies to prove that their supply chains are free of slave labour.