BCI's boycott against Xinjiang cotton groundless, politically motivated, says Pakistani expert

ISLAMABAD, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The accusation of "forced labor" in China's Xinjiang region and the boycott against the region's cotton by the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) are groundless and politically motivated, a Pakistani expert has said.

The targeted propaganda of the BCI deliberately ignored the ground facts and realities, Chairman of the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association Jassu Mal, who has been to Xinjiang several times and witnessed the advancement and modernization of the region's cotton industry, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"The organization has not proven its mettle through detailed research work," he said, adding that his field examination has visibly demonstrated that high-standard international procedures are being followed in Xinjiang cotton production, which has been highly mechanized, reducing the need of laborers greatly to cut costs.

One thing seems to be obvious through evidences that the BCI has been used by anti-China forces to malign and suppress China, he said.

As China is a major cotton producer in the world, the entire campaign seems to have some political and economic agenda, the chairman said, adding that the mentioning of Xinjiang region is just an excuse for finding ways to propagate misinformation against China's growing cotton industry.

The rapid development of China's textile industry has prompted many in the West to raise their eyebrows, and the recent boycott by several international brands speaks volumes for the nervousness of Western countries, he said.

"Such a campaign, under the pretext of human rights violation, will only make lives difficult for the people in the region and ultimately harm international trade and businesses," Mal said.

Fair competition, rather than defamation campaigns and blame games, can ensure benefits for all stakeholders, he said.

In Mal's eyes, the BCI is not so authoritative and does not have much influence in Pakistan.

In Pakistan, the practices defined by the organization, including training of local farmers, are largely not implemented, he said.