The U.S. Department of Commerce added to an economic blacklist 11 Chinese companies that he said are involved in human rights violations in relation to China’s treatment of Uighurs in western Xinjiang.
The measure, which prevents these companies from purchasing components of U.S. companies without the approval of the U.S. government, has raised an allegation of defamation by China, which committed itself to take steps to protect the rights of their companies.
Commerce said Monday that affected companies were involved in the use of forced labour by Uighurs and other Muslim minority groups.
These include numerous textile companies and two firms that, according to the US government, were conducting genetic analyses to promote the repression of Uighurs and other Muslim minorities.
It is the third group of Chinese companies and institutions to be added to the U.S. blacklist, after two rounds in which the Trump Administration mentioned 37 entities that, in its view, were involved in China’s crackdown on Xinjiang.
