China News Service, March 26. According to the website of China National Textile and Apparel Council, recently, some international brands and international organizations have excluded Xinjiang cotton and its products from their commercial activities based on lies and false information, which has triggered Chinese society and textile industry. The great indignation of the industry and consumers.
In response, the China National Textile and Apparel Council declared as follows:
1. The China National Textile and Apparel Council agrees with the relevant positions of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce, and opposes any stigmatization of Xinjiang cotton.
We firmly oppose certain international brands and organizations that exclude Xinjiang cotton and its products from their supply chains and daily operations based on lies and false information.
In March and August 2020, the China National Textile and Apparel Council issued solemn statements on the US "Xinjiang-related" Act and the US "Xinjiang Supply Chain Business Advisory Announcement" respectively.
2. Xinjiang cotton is a high-quality natural fiber raw material recognized by the global industry. It satisfies the global rigid consumer demand for cotton textiles and clothing, and is an important raw material guarantee for the healthy and sustainable development of China's textile industry.
In recent years, not only the cotton planting and production in Xinjiang has remained stable, but the cotton textile and clothing industry has also developed rapidly, which has played an important role in promoting regional economic development, solving employment for people of all ethnic groups, and improving people's livelihood and welfare.
In 2020, Xinjiang will produce 5.2 million tons of cotton, accounting for about 87% of domestic production.
By the end of 2019, there were 808 cotton processing enterprises in Xinjiang, accounting for 84% of the country's total. The scale of cotton spinning spindles reached 19.91 million, accounting for about 16% of the country's total spindles.
3. The China National Textile and Apparel Council emphasized here that the so-called "forced labor" in Xinjiang, China, is completely false, a complete lie and a political operation.
In January this year, the Xinjiang Textile Industry Association issued a detailed and objective "Social Responsibility Report of Xinjiang Cotton Textile Industry."
We recommend that all relevant stakeholders consult the contents and opinions of the "Report", respect values based on facts, and reject false information about political operations.
4. The China National Textile and Apparel Council hereby calls on relevant international brands and institutions to face up to the solemn positions of Chinese enterprises and consumers, take corrective measures, and stop excluding the wrong behavior of Xinjiang cotton and its products from its supply chain.
Such wrongdoings have harmed the legitimate rights and interests of cotton growers and textile and garment industry workers of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang to obtain remuneration through work and improve their living standards. They are suspected of violating Xinjiang's human rights in the name of so-called "supply chain compliance."
5. China National Textile and Apparel Council welcomes international brands and institutions to visit Xinjiang cotton production areas and textile and garment factories to independently understand and judge relevant facts. We are willing to provide convenience and assistance for related inspections.
At the same time, we are willing to provide active support for international brands to develop trade and investment cooperation with Xinjiang cotton and textile industries.
6. China has the world's largest textile and garment industry with the most complete and independent industrial chain, and has obvious international competitive advantages. At the same time, China has also built the world's largest textile and garment intermediate market and retail market.
In the course of development over the past few decades, China's textile industry has formed a mutually beneficial and win-win supply chain partnership with a large number of international brands and purchasers.
At the same time, the vast Chinese consumer market is also completely open to international brands.
The China National Textile and Apparel Council agrees with the position of the Ministry of Commerce of China: We always welcome and support the normal business activities of multinational companies in China and the efforts to build an industrial chain and supply chain.
We hereby call on international brands to respect the legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese textile industry, respect the free choice of more than one billion Chinese consumers, avoid the politicization of commercial issues, and avoid becoming victims of individual anti-China forces.
7. The China National Textile and Apparel Council is grateful to the cotton growers and textile industry workers of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang for their long-term and fundamental contributions to China’s textile industry. It also thanks Chinese textile and apparel companies for their large amounts of advanced investment in Xinjiang, and thanks to many domestic brands and some international brands here. The firm stand to support Xinjiang Cotton in the incident.
As a representative of the collective interests of China's textile and garment industry, the China National Textile and Apparel Council will continue to firmly support the planting and production of cotton in Xinjiang, and will continue to firmly support the prosperity and development of Xinjiang's textile and garment industry!