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Will Uzbekistan cotton reap the benefits of Xinjiang’s alleged labour abuses?
- Not so long ago, the Central Asian nation was battling an international boycott of the crop
- Now it could be a preferred supplier for clothing brands turning their back on Chinese sources
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International pressure against China over its Xinjiang policies has gained traction in recent months, with China criticised over the treatment of Uygur Muslims in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. China has denied allegations of forced labour and detention. We look at the issues in this series.
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It’s spring in Uzbekistan and a new wave of cotton plants is rising from the earth.
The crop is known as “white gold” in the Central Asian country and this year’s harvest could be particularly lucrative.
After an easing in a decade-long international boycott over forced labour, Uzbekistan, the world’s sixth-biggest cotton producer, is expecting to cash in as buyers turn their back on supplies from China.
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Xinjiang, China’s top cotton producer
Xinjiang, China’s top cotton producer
China ranks second globally in cotton production, with more than 600,000 people employed in cotton processing factories in Xinjiang and producing nearly 5.9 million tonnes of the crop last year – the bulk of it from the far western region.
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But now it is the one under international pressure, with critics accusing authorities of labour abuses in the far western region of Xinjiang and buyers looking elsewhere as they try to avoid the political fallout.
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