Plausible deniability is no longer an option, even for the many companies that continue to source products from Xinjiang.
Xinjiang is China’s largest region. It produces 84% of the cotton destined for China’s textile and garment industry, 45% of the cotton destined for China’s textile and garment industry and 40% of the cotton destined for China’s textile and garment industry. % of the world’s polysilicon, a key component in photovoltaic solar panels, not to mention mining resources such as coal, gas, lithium, zinc and lead.
Until there is wider access and independent verification of working conditions in Xinjiang, companies must now assume that products linked to this region are tainted by modern slavery.
What’s needed is international action and pressure to force change.
