Latest news with #UyghurGenocide
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New investigation raises red flags over popular fashion brand: 'Not simply turning a blind eye'
A new investigation is raising serious concerns about fast fashion giant Shein's ties to forced labor and human rights abuses, sparking renewed calls for accountability by the brand and the fashion industry, Leigh Day reported. An investigation by the campaign group Stop Uyghur Genocide uncovered an alleged link between fast-fashion retailer Shein and textile manufacturing in China's Xinjiang region, an area infamously associated with forced labor. The link is so strong that the U.S. government "presumes that all goods manufactured in the region are made with forced labor," per the law firm Leigh Day, which represents Stop Uyghur Genocide. China denies all allegations of genocide, forced labor, and human rights violations in Xinjiang, according to the Financial Times. Stop Uyghur Genocide's research focused on the Guangqing Textile and Garment Industry Orderly Transfer Park in China's Guangdong province, which reportedly received investment and support from Shein. The park was specifically designed to connect Xinjiang-based cotton and textile companies with e-commerce platforms like Shein, according to the report. Shein's reported involvement with the park includes signing a strategic cooperation agreement in November 2023 and hosting an "investment promotion event" there in March 2024, allegedly encouraging manufacturers to "move to the premises with the potential benefit of becoming a supplier for Shein," per Leigh Day. Given the park's role in sourcing Xinjiang textiles, outlined here by the U.S. Department of Labor, and Shein's alleged participation, the research suggests Shein's products are at a high risk of being made with materials linked to forced labor. The concerns outlined in the study are part of broader international criticism of China's treatment of the Uyghur population in the Xinjiang region. Several countries, including the U.S., have formally accused China of genocide, CNN reported. Stop Uyghur Genocide said that Shein's support of the textile park could be seen as profiting from the forced labor and upholding modern slavery, per Leigh Day. What should be done to make home solar panels cheaper? More tax incentives Lower installation costs Better loan options They're cheap enough already Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. But fast fashion doesn't just exploit vulnerable workers — it also takes a serious toll on the environment. Built on speed, volume, and disposability, the fast fashion model encourages consumers to buy large quantities of cheap, low-quality garments, which are quickly discarded. This cycle of overconsumption is expensive, and it also drives massive textile waste and unsustainable production practices. Fast fashion production also pollutes waterways, relies heavily on toxic chemicals, and depletes natural resources. These practices disproportionately harm the health and livelihoods of local communities by threatening access to clean water, food, and safe living conditions. Stop Uyghur Genocide submitted its evidence to the UK's Financial Conduct Authority, urging it to consider the findings given Shein's potential listing on the London Stock Exchange. The group argued that allowing Shein to go public in the U.K. would endanger the country's commitments to human rights and ethical financial practices, per Leigh Day. "Shein is not simply turning a blind eye — I believe it is profiting from a system built on the forced labor of persecuted people," Rahima Mahmut, executive director of Stop Uyghur Genocide, said in a statement, per Leigh Day. "The Financial Conduct Authority must take this evidence seriously." Meanwhile, there are growing efforts around the globe to regulate fast fashion through legislation and industry-led initiatives, but enforcement can be inconsistent. While international law catches up, you can make a difference by breaking up with fast fashion. While it can seem like you are saving money while shopping fast fashion, experts estimate that you can save $200 or more a year by investing in fewer, higher-quality sustainable pieces that last longer. If sustainable brands are out of your price range, secondhand shopping is a great alternative. Thrifting at local shops or shopping resale sites like ThredUp can save you money while also helping to lessen the environmental and social impact of clothing production. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
CNA
23-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
China slams 'politicisation' of education after US blocks foreign enrolment at Harvard
BEIJING: Beijing on Friday (May 23) slammed the "politicisation" of educational exchanges after the United States revoked the right of Harvard University to enrol foreign students, many of whom come from China. "The Chinese side has consistently opposed the politicisation of educational cooperation," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing. "The relevant action by the US side will only harm the image and international standing of the United States." Harvard enrolled nearly 6,800 international students in the current academic year, making up 27 per cent of its total enrollment. Chinese nationals made up a fifth of Harvard's foreign student intake in 2024, according to university statistics. The Trump administration's order will require current foreign students to transfer to other schools or lose their legal status. 'Harvard's leadership has created an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students, and otherwise obstruct its once-venerable learning environment,' the Department of Homeland Security said on Thursday. It also pointed to China's Communist Party (CCP) as a factor for the decision. 'Harvard's leadership further facilitated, and engaged in coordinated activity with the CCP, including hosting and training members of a CCP paramilitary group complicit in the Uyghur genocide,' the department said. Harvard, which has sued the government over a separate raft of punitive measures, fired back, calling the move "unlawful." "We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard's ability to host our international students and scholars," it said in a statement, adding that it was working to offer students guidance and support. "This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard's academic and research mission." Last month, Trump threatened to stop Harvard from enrolling foreign students if it did not agree to government demands that would put the private institution under outside political supervision. "As I explained to you in my April letter, it is a privilege to enrol foreign students," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote. "All universities must comply with Department of Homeland Security requirements, including reporting requirements under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program regulations, to maintain this privilege," she said. HARVARD REFUGEE The number of Chinese international students in the United States has dropped to about 277,000 in 2024 from a high of around 370,000 in 2019, driven partly by growing tension between the world's two biggest economies and heightened US government scrutiny of some Chinese students. "Our teachers have sent us an email saying the school is actively working hard on a response within the next 72 hours and aims to negotiate with the government," said Teresa, a Chinese postgraduate student at the Harvard Kennedy School. Her post on Friday on the Instagram-like Xiaohongshu platform was titled "Harvard refugee". Zhang Kaiqi, a master's student in public health, had packed his luggage and souvenirs ready for a Friday flight back to China. But upon hearing the news, he urgently cancelled the expensive flight, losing his internship at a us NGO in China. "I was sad and irritated. For a moment, I thought it was fake news," the 21-year-old said. As others digested Thursday's order, two Chinese students said they were added to WhatsApp groups in which panicked foreign students were frantically sharing legal advice on their immigration status.
American Military News
26-04-2025
- Business
- American Military News
UK state energy company will not source solar panels made with slave labor from China
This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission. The British government says a new state-owned renewable energy company will not be allowed to source solar panels made with Chinese slave labor. The government announced Wednesday that it will introduce an amendment to ensure that the planned company, Great British Energy, will not have slavery in its supply chains. China is the dominant global player in the renewable energy market including solar energy. The BBC cited customs data that Britain imports more than 40% of its solar photovoltaics from China. A key component is polysilicon sourced from the Xinjiang region in China's far west, where minority Uyghur Muslims have faced persecution including use of their forced labor. In 2021, the U.S. Labor Department listed polysilicon as a product made with forced labor in China in violation of international standards. The British government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer had initially rejected an amendment to the Great British Energy Bill to include provisions to prevent purchase of solar panels made with slave labor. However, on Wednesday, it changed track. 'Great British Energy will act to secure supply chains that are free of forced labor, under an amendment brought forward by the government today,' the Department of Energy Security said in a news release. It said a new measure in the bill 'will enable the company to ensure that forced labor does not take place in its business or its supply chains.' The opposition Conservative Party described it as a 'humiliating U-turn' for Ed Miliband, the secretary of state for energy and climate change, but it was also supported by some members of the ruling Labour Party. Rahima Mahmut, executive director of the activist group Stop Uyghur Genocide, welcomed the amendment, posting on X that it was a 'massive step toward justice.' Forced labor is on a long list of serious human rights problems that have been documented in Xinjiang and is cited along with the incarceration of an estimated 1.8 million people in detention camps since 2017 and forced birth control by the U.S. government and others as evidence of genocide of the Uyghurs. China denies the rights abuses.
