U.S. ban on Xinjiang cotton to further disturb global supply chain, says expert

Amar Aziz drives a cotton picker in his own cotton field in Gezkum Town of Xayar County, Aksu Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Oct. 25, 2021. Amar Aziz lives in Xayar County, Aksu Prefecture, which is an important cotton-producing area in Xinjiang. (Xinhua/Ma Kai)

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. ban on Xinjiang cotton will badly disturb the global supply chain, a Pakistani expert has said.

All parts of China, including Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, have witnessed profound economic development, but the United States chose to turn a blind eye to it and signed the so-called "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act" into law as part of its scheme to use Xinjiang to contain China's development, Khalid Taimur Akram, executive director of the Center for Global and Strategic Studies in Islamabad, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"The bill had been criticized by many big companies," as it will only disturb the global supply chain and lead to a massive loss of revenues for those companies, he said.

Lamenting the U.S. propaganda to portray Xinjiang as a subject of abysmal poverty and injustice, he said that all the allegations are merely manifestations of a politicized campaign against China.

"Being an international expert and scholar, I have often visited China, especially the Xinjiang region. During my visits, I have witnessed that China has eliminated poverty and maintained sustainable development in Xinjiang. The employment level is stable and a large number of job opportunities have been created by the policies of the Chinese leadership," he added.

According to the expert, all his visits to Xinjiang have allowed him to see that people there enjoy a happy and prosperous life, and modern infrastructure development along with technological advancement has transformed the region.

"There is religious freedom and unity among people. Thus, fabricating a false narrative to disengage and restrict Xinjiang's cotton supply would be detrimental for the cotton availability in the international market," Akram added.

Calling the bill a futile attempt by the United States to disturb peace and harmony in Xinjiang, he said that the United States is unscrupulous to launch smear campaigns against China and sow discord among the Chinese people, "but such attempts will fail miserably."

He said that the prosperity in Xinjiang is indisputable evidence of how misleading the U.S. rhetoric against the region is.

"China is a state that works for the well-being of its people, including ethnic minorities. The dynamic leadership of China has taken robust initiatives to enhance the living standard of the Xinjiang region."

Questioning the U.S. track record of killing innocent people worldwide, he said that the country is trying to falsely accuse China of something that Washington has repeatedly done.

"In the name of democracy, the United States has always meddled in the internal affairs of other countries. However, the world has witnessed the true vicious face of the country through its systematic ambiguity and failed democratic model," he said.