Dublin [Ireland], October 16 (ANI): An investigation has revealed that cotton linked to forced labour in China’s Xinjiang region continues to enter European markets, despite years of corporate promises to end unethical sourcing. The report found that at least 15 factories in Bangladesh have imported hundreds of tonnes of cotton from two Chinese textile giants, Esquel Group and Jiangsu Lianfa Textiles, both connected to Beijing’s forced labour schemes. These factories supply major Irish retailers, including Tesco and Penneys, according to University Times.
Esquel Group and Jiangsu Lianfa maintain extensive operations in Xinjiang, which produces nearly a third of the world’s cotton. The region is notorious for the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of the Uyghur Muslim minority.
A 2022 United Nations report accused China of committing severe human rights violations in Xinjiang, including torture, rape, forced abortions, and sterilization acts amounting to crimes against humanity. Footage showing Uyghur labourers working at Esquel and Jiangsu Lianfa facilities as recently as December 2024 challenges multinational retailers’ claims of transparent and ethical supply chains.
Despite pledges by companies like Tesco, Penneys, and Marks & Spencer to stop sourcing from Xinjiang, systemic loopholes and weak certification systems have allowed untraceable cotton to enter production lines. One certification body, BetterCotton, admitted that its “mass balance” system, widely used by global retailers, cannot ensure the cotton’s origin. A former BetterCotton employee noted that the system could easily include cotton from Xinjiang, undermining corporate assurances of clean sourcing.
Scientific testing methods employed by brands such as Penneys and Marks & Spencer have also faced scrutiny. Dr. Len Wassenaar, a leading expert in isotopic testing, explained that blending cotton from different regions renders results meaningless, making it nearly impossible to trace origins accurately, as reported by University Times.
Irish Labour spokesperson Senator Nessa Cosgrove urged the government to act, stressing that “no worker’s suffering should be woven into our clothes.” The Labour Party is pushing for its Exploitation and Trafficking Bill, which would compel companies to publicly demonstrate their commitment to eradicating forced labour.
The investigation has renewed pressure on European retailers and governments to confront China’s exploitation-driven cotton trade and take decisive action to ensure ethical sourcing, according to University Times.
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