Aerial photo taken on Oct. 17, 2020 shows a cotton harvesting machine working in a field in Manas County, Hui Autonomous Prefecture of Changji, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)
BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- So-called forced labor in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is non-existent and entirely imaginary, and the spotless white Xinjiang cotton brooks no slander, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said on Thursday.
"We oppose any external forces interfering in Xinjiang-related matters and China's internal affairs. We also oppose sanctions imposed on Chinese individuals and entities based on lies and false information, and on the pretext of so-called human rights issues in Xinjiang," MOC spokesperson Gao Feng said at a press conference.
With regard to the so-called business decisions made by certain foreign companies based on erroneous information, Chinese consumers have responded with concrete actions, said Gao.
It is hoped that these companies will respect the law of the market, rectify their erroneous actions and avoid politicizing business issues, the spokesperson said.
"The Chinese government always welcomes and supports the normal business operations of transnational corporations in China and their efforts to build industrial and supply chains," he said.
"Meanwhile, we welcome foreign companies to come and visit Xinjiang themselves, and stand ready to provide support for companies from all countries to trade and invest in Xinjiang," he added. ■
