G7 says there is no place for ‘state-sponsored’ forced labour in veiled dig at China’s Xinjiang policies
- G7 trade ministers vow to eliminate the practice and express concern about it being imposed on vulnerable people and minorities
- Western criticism of China’s treatment of the Uygurs has intensified amid allegations of forced labour in Xinjiang cotton production
“We affirm that there is no place for forced labour in the rules-based multilateral trading system,” the ministers said in a joint statement on Friday following their virtual meeting hosted by Britain, expressing their concern over “state-sponsored forced labour of vulnerable groups and minorities.”
They noted in the first joint statement of the G7 on the issue that about 25 million people worldwide are subject to forced labour and urged nations, institutions and businesses to work together “to eradicate forced labour from global supply chains”.
01:50
China claims improved living standards and ethnic equality in Xinjiang while ignoring allegations
The G7 ministers referred to the state-sponsored forced labour of vulnerable groups and minorities in the agricultural, solar and garment sectors but did not single out China.
02:38
Global brands face backlash in China for rejecting Xinjiang cotton
Japan’s Koichi Hagiuda told reporters afterwards that a new team would be set up within his ministry to address the forced labour issue.
06:33
G7, Nato rhetoric mark ‘seismic shift’ between China and the West
The G7 nations – Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States – plus the European Union also agreed on the principles of digital trade and said they “oppose digital protectionism and authoritarianism”.
In a separate document, they called for “unjustified obstacles to cross-border data flows” to be addressed, “while continuing to address privacy, data protection, the protection of intellectual property rights, and security”.