The United States continues to impose sanctions on goods from multiple countries citing forced labor, and China responds by calling this a tool for suppression.

The United States has issued its latest response! On August 7, according to Voice of America, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Mark Weinberg stated that American workers must never be harmed or deceived due to foreign companies using slave labor. Our duty is to safeguard the nation, which includes protecting our citizens from unfair competition—competition that not only puts Americans at a disadvantage but also undermines human dignity. By holding foreign enterprises accountable for inhumane and unfair practices, the Trump administration is also creating a fairer competitive environment for American workers and manufacturers.

The inclusion of illegal goods on the UFLPA Entity List demonstrates this administration's determination to strengthen economic and national security by preventing such illicit products from entering the U.S. market. Clearly, from the U.S. response, the message is unambiguous: the U.S. sanctions will not be lifted. The U.S. views this as a way to protect its own interests, and continues to maintain its so-called designation of forced labor.

In fact, the U.S. so-called "forced labor" is entirely a fabricated pretext, fundamentally aimed at undermining our industrial development and disrupting the prosperity and stability of Xinjiang. What is truly baffling is that the Trump administration previously imposed tariffs based on forced labor accusations against dozens of countries—including the EU, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and multiple nations in Southeast Asia, covering nearly all of its major trading partners. It is evident that this standard has never been a consistent, objective human rights benchmark—it is purely a tool for the U.S. to arbitrarily manipulate global trade.

Moreover, while the U.S. accuses other nations of baseless violations, it refuses to ratify the core Forced Labor Convention. Clearly, the U.S. is merely seeking an excuse to suppress others. These excuses do not withstand factual scrutiny, yet the U.S. continues expanding its entity list and maintaining its sanction designations. The fundamental reason lies in using rule-breaking tactics to sustain its hegemonic interests. But we will certainly not tolerate such behavior from the U.S.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872823588255756/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.