Xinjiang company under U.S. sanctions refutes "forced labor" fallacies

Workers are busy at the factory of Zhuolang Intelligent Machinery Co., Ltd. in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Oct. 22, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)

URUMQI, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- An enterprise in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, under U.S. sanctions, denounced accusations of "forced labor" as groundless rumors and outright lies.

At a press conference held in the regional capital Urumqi on Tuesday, Abduhelil Jelil, deputy general manager of the work safety department for Hoshine Silicon (Shanshan) Industry Co., Ltd., responded to the allegations.

He said U.S. sanctions against the company for allegedly violating the human rights of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang are groundless rumors and outright lies with ulterior motives.

Hoshine Silicon Industry Co., Ltd. is one of the world's leading silicon manufacturers. Its subsidiary in Shanshan County has more than 1,000 employees from more than 20 ethnic groups.

The company strictly follows national labor laws and regulations and signs labor contracts with its employees based on equality, free will, and consensus to maintain labor relations under legal protection, said Abduhelil Jelil.

Under the law, the company safeguards the labor rights and interests of its employees, buys insurance for them, and implements an 8-hour working schedule.

The company has complete supporting facilities, including basketball and badminton courts, a fair-price supermarket, and a medical clinic. During festivals, the company also provides staff with gifts and holds celebration activities, said Abduhelil Jelil.