'Rude interference': China on US banning tomato, cotton imports

Describing the US decision to ban all cotton and tomato imports from the Xinjiang region as a "rude interference", China on Thursday said this will "harm" the security of global supply chains and "impede" economic recovery against novel coronavirus. 

The U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Wednesday said that all imports of tomato and cotton products from Xinjiang will be banned due to the use of forced labour. 

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 China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said that it opposed the move by the US, calling it Beijing's internal matter. 

Also read | US bans imports of all cotton, tomato products from China's Xinjiang region over forced labour concerns

"China opposes the rude interference of certain countries in China's internal affairs," MOFCOM spokesperson was quoted as saying in a tweet by Global Times. 

"Cotton, tomato produce from Xinjiang is important for the global industrial chain, and restrictive measures would harm security of global industrial and supply chains and impede global economic recovery, and China urges relevant countries to stop wrongdoings" MOFCOM in another tweet added. 

Xinjiang is in China's far-west and the region is largely dominated by ethnic Uighur Muslims and Beijing's suppression to this minority group is well-reported by several human rights groups. 

The US "will not tolerate forced labor (labour) of any kind in US supply chains," said Ken Cuccinelli, acting deputy secretary of the Homeland Security Department, which oversees the CBP.