United Kingdom

cross-posted from https://scribe.disroot.org/post/4079628

Archived version

Dozens of new air cargo routes between China's Xinjiang region and EU, UK, Swiss cities prompting alarm over use of forced labour in imported goods, data compiled by the Uyghur Human Rights Project (HRP) finds.

Key points:

• Air cargo routes are rapidly expanding between Ürümchi and over a dozen European cities. Since June 2024, nine cargo companies have launched new air freight routes between Ürümchi and cities across the EU, UK, and Switzerland, creating a direct trade corridor from a region where the Chinese government is perpetrating genocide and atrocity crimes, including forced labor.

• Goods transported by air include products from sectors linked to Uyghur forced labor. Cargo includes e-commerce goods, textiles, footwear, electronics, and agricultural products, sectors documented as tainted by Uyghur forced labor.

• New air freight routes are part of China’s broader Air Silk Road strategy to integrate the Uyghur Region into global markets. The Chinese government has positioned Ürümchi as a central hub for transcontinental cargo flights under the Belt and Road Initiative.

• Immediate action is required to close enforcement gaps and prevent complicity. Without urgent intervention, the growing volume of cargo flights risks embedding Uyghur forced labor into European supply chains. The European Union and national authorities must act to inspect high-risk cargo, allocate enforcement resources, and uphold commitments to end forced labor imports.

[Edit to insert the link.]

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/34844393