The Xinjiang Textile Industry Association on Sunday issued a report reviewing the history and development of Xinjiang's cotton textile industry, and refuting Western criticism of the so-called "forced labor".

"The industry… secures the livelihoods of millions of people in Xinjiang, including cotton growers, cotton textile workers and their family members, improves their lives, and promotes the realization of their economic and social rights," the report said.

In Chapter VI, the report highlights people's rights, saying that "putting people first" was and will remain Xinjiang's cotton textile industry's primary social development goal and fundamental social responsibility.

The industry will "continue to ensure employees' will and freedom in all modes of employment, respect employees' will and occupational choices, and promote the market mechanism to play a leading role in allocating labor resources," according to the report.