The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) continues to face global scrutiny due to China’s systematic use of forced labour and exploitation of natural resources, particularly impacting the region’s Uyghur and other ethnic minority populations. Xinjiang plays a critical role in China’s economy, producing approximately 85% of the country’s cotton, which also represents around 20% of the global supply. This places Xinjiang at the heart of international supply chains, raising concerns about the global reach of forced labour-tainted goods and the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) broader exploitation of the region’s natural resources.
According to U.S. Department of Labour, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), a paramilitary organization that oversees nearly 3 million workers, is at the centre of the forced labour system in Xinjiang. The XPCC’s influence extends across various sectors, including farming, manufacturing, mining, and cotton production. This powerful entity operates as a de facto governing body within Xinjiang, responsible for managing not only the region’s economy but also implementing coercive labour programs targeting Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities.
The XPCC’s involvement in industries such as agriculture, textiles, electronics, and solar panel manufacturing further entrenches forced labour into the global supply chain. Companies across the world, particularly in the textile and technology sectors, risk sourcing products tainted by forced labour, creating ethical concerns for businesses and consumers alike.
According to ASPI report on Uyghur, one of the Chinese government’s key methods of controlling the Uyghur population is through labour transfer programs. These programs, which are part of China’s broader “poverty alleviation” and “counter-extremism” campaigns, forcibly relocate Uyghurs into factory jobs both within Xinjiang and across other Chinese provinces. These transfers are not voluntary but rather coercive, with workers subjected to harsh conditions, surveillance, and indoctrination.
In 2023 alone, over 100,000 Uyghur workers were forcibly transferred under these labour programs, with the practice continuing into early 2024. During the first quarter of 2024, an estimated 20,000 Uyghurs were relocated under these schemes. Despite mounting international pressure and a flood of human rights reports, the Chinese government continues to deny transparency, refusing to release official data on the scope of these transfers
Beyond forced labour, Xinjiang’s vast natural resources have also been a focal point for Chinese exploitation. The region is rich in valuable resources, including coal, oil, and rare earth minerals, all of which are crucial to China’s energy and manufacturing sectors. However, the extraction of these resources often occurs under conditions that disregard the rights and livelihoods of local populations, particularly Uyghurs.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been accused of systematically extracting these resources without fair compensation to the indigenous people of Xinjiang, who remain economically marginalized despite living in one of the most resource-rich areas in China. This resource exploitation compounds the suffering of the Uyghur population, as natural wealth from their homeland is extracted to fuel China’s rapid industrial growth while the local people face poverty, repression, and forced assimilation.
The international community has taken steps to address the forced labour crisis in Xinjiang, particularly through the United States’ December 2020 ban on cotton imports from the region. This move came in response to widespread reports that over 3 million people had been forced to pick cotton under coercive conditions. While the ban was a significant step, the persistence of forced labour into 2023 and 2024 shows that more robust measures are needed.
Despite such efforts, China’s coercive labour programs have not only persisted but evolved, with forced labour extending into industries like electronics and solar panels. These workers are often sent far from their homes, separated from their cultural roots, and subjected to gruelling labour under the guise of poverty alleviation and counterterrorism initiatives. Meanwhile, Xinjiang’s vast natural resources continue to be plundered by the Chinese government, with little benefit to the local population.
Xinjiang’s prominence in global supply chains has far-reaching consequences, as international companies grapple with the risk of sourcing products linked to forced labour. Many industries, particularly in textiles, electronics, and renewable energy, rely on resources and materials produced in Xinjiang. While some companies have made efforts to ensure ethical sourcing, the complexity and opacity of supply chains make it difficult to guarantee compliance.
In addition to the forced labour issue, the exploitation of Xinjiang’s natural resources raises further concerns about environmental degradation and the economic disenfranchisement of the Uyghur population. As Xinjiang’s resources are extracted to fuel China’s industrial expansion, the local population sees little to no benefit, exacerbating their already dire living conditions. The ongoing crisis in Xinjiang, marked by both forced labour and resource exploitation, remains one of the most pressing human rights issues in the world. Despite international condemnation, the Chinese government continues to enforce labour transfers and extract the region’s natural wealth, further marginalizing its Uyghur population.
