China says US measures on import from Xinjiang threaten global trade

China's government rejected US accusations of forced labour in Xinjiang, accusing it of hurting global trade after US lawmakers endorsed import curbs and warned American companies of legal risks

China's government rejected US accusations of forced labour in Xinjiang, accusing Washington of hurting global trade after US lawmakers endorsed import curbs and American companies were warned of legal risks for doing business with the region.

The measure approved Wednesday by the US Senate would block imports of goods made with forced labour in Xinjiang, where the ruling Communist Party is accused of widespread detentions of members of mostly Muslim ethnic groups.

On Tuesday, the Commerce Department and other agencies warned companies with ties to the northwest region they run a high risk of violating U.S. laws against forced labour.

The so-called human rights and forced labor issues in Xinjiang are completely inconsistent with the facts, a Ministry of Commerce spokesman, Gao Feng, said Thursday.

The US approach has seriously undermined the security and stability of the global industrial chain and supply chain, he said, without referring directly to either US measure. China firmly opposes it.