The Star: April 22, 2021

The Star Thursday April 22 2021
Xinjiang “Forced Labor”
Allegations Are Just
Another Lie
Recently some western countries
and media outlets alleged that
there are signs of forced labor in
Xinjiang’s cotton industry. Some
countries sanctioned Chinese
companies and certain foreign
enterprises cut business ties with
Xinjiang’s cotton producers,
which naturally provoked an
ongoing backlash by the Chinese
government and the Chinese
people.
Xinjiang region, located in
western China, just like New
Zealand, has vast lands and sparse
population. Cotton industry is
one of the pivotal industries in
Xinjiang. In the harvest season,
well-paid cotton-picking jobs used
to attract many workers, mainly
from neighbouring provinces to
Xinjiang, just like Pacifikas being
recruited to work as fruit pickers in
NZ for harvest each year.
In recent years, technological
innovations have made cotton
production highly mechanized
and much less labor-intensive in
Xinjiang where more than 70%
of the cotton is picked by use of
machines. This has significantly
reduced the demand for cottonpicking
workers, even at busiest
harvest time. In addition, the
workers all sign contracts out of
their own accord with planters
through consultation on an equal
footing. Despite the earlier move
of the Better Cotton Initiative of
Switzerland to suspend activities
in Xinjiang as well as licensing
of Xinjiang’s cotton based on
the unfounded accusation of
“forced labor”, the BCI Shanghai
representative office recently issued
a statement pointing out that “since
2012, the Xinjiang project site has
performed second-party credibility
audits and third-party verifications
over the years, and has never found
a single case related to incidents of
forced labor.” Obviously there is
no convincing evidence in support
of the Xinjiang “forced labor”
accusations. As indicated by China
Cotton Association recently, China
firmly and undoubtedly reject these
baseless accusations.
Behind the unsubstantiated
Xinjiang human rights abuse
accusations from some
individuals, so-called independent
organizations or think tanks, we
can see state actors involved. Many
of the research reports are funded
by the US and used fabricated data.
We couldn’t help questioning the
geographical considerations and
political motives behind these
narratives. Lawrence Wilkerson,
chief of staff to former United
States Secretary of State Colin
Powell, gave a speech in August
2018, saying that: “if the CIA
would want to destabilize China,
they could form an unrest and join
with Uygurs in pushing the Han
Chinese in Beijing from internal
places rather than external.” This
has left behind some traces of why
such Xinjiang-related issues have
become so heated these years.
Xinjiang is open to visitors from
all over the world. In year 2020,
Xinjiang has received 158 million
tourists. Since the end of year
2018, over 1,000 people from more
than 70 international delegations,
including senior UN officials,
foreign diplomats, international
organizations officials, overseas
media reporters and religious
figures from 91 countries, have
visited Xinjiang. China has 1
billion Internet users. However,
there has not been a single available
online video clip validating the
Xinjiang-related allegations. It’s
particularly worth noting that not a
single Muslim country has accused
China of abusing human rights in
Xinjiang. On the contrary, many
of them have been consistently
supporting China’s position
concerning Xinjiang in United
Nations Human Rights Council.
China has invited many western
countries’ diplomats to visit
Xinjiang over the years. However,
some of the countries have
constantly been postponing the
visit, raising unreasonable requests
including asking to see criminals
sentenced for engagement in
terrorism and separatist activities.
Seeing is believing. We continue
to welcome foreign entrepreneurs
and people with an interest in the
so-called “forced labor”issue to
visit Xinjiang. Keeping in mind
the “Great Intelligence Failure”
Colin Powell mentioned relating
to the nonexistent Iraq’s weapons
program in his 2003 United
Nations speech and former
Secretary of State Pompeo’s
assertion about America’s glory
in Texas A&M University, I am
fully confident that sensible people
will distinguish truth from lying,
cheating, dirty play and false
stories about Xinjiang and make
judgements independently and
impartially.
Author: Wang Zhijan,
Chinese Consul General in
Christchurch
This advertisement is paid for by the Chinese Consulate
22
OPINION
Remembering sacrifices
made during war
SUNDAY IS Anzac Day,
a day when we gather to
commemorate the sacrifice
that was made over a
century ago by the young
men who were sent from
Australia and New Zealand
to fight a war ‘for King and
country’ in battlefields far
away.
The bonds that were
forged in blood back then
have come to define the essence
of the Anzac spirit.
This year we will gather
once again in Cranmer
Square for the Dawn
Service.
Last year we commemorated
Anzac Day during
lockdown in our bubbles,
which meant staying at
home and keeping our
distance when outside.
This has made the
transtasman travel bubble
particularly poignant, as
evidenced by the moving
scenes of families being
reunited that filled our
screens on Monday.
The fact that we can
travel freely between our
countries is testament to
the decisions taken by our
respective governments,
as well as the Aussies and
Kiwis, who followed the
requirements that were put
in place.
In this respect we have
Maori place
names
It appears The Star is
being subject to vociferous
opposition the inclusion
of Māori language and
particularly Māori place
names in the media and
public discourse.
I wonder what drives
their concern. As the
son of a ten pound Pom
and a second-generation
Kiwi of Irish and English
descent. I am proudly
pākehā.
Born in Waipukurau, Te
Matau-a-Māu,i and spent
my childhood in Makaretu
on the banks of the Tukituki
river in the foothills of
the Ruahine Range and
was educated in Whakaoriori
and later Opaki on the
banks of the Ruamahanga
River before starting work
in Heretaunga.
I now live near by the
Ōtākaro River in Ōtautahi.
These names tell the
story of the whenua where
I was born, grew up, was
educated and now live.
The place names the vociferous
minority seem hell
bent on protecting have
little significance to me.
My ancestors came here
to escape the horrors of
their homeland to make a
collectively shown what we
can achieve when we act
as one.
And that was what the
Anzac spirit imbued in our
soldiers all those years ago.
life for themselves on the
other side of the world. –
David Marra
Clean water
The ECan column by
Jenny Hughey, talks about
the importance of clean
water for us all. We all
want clean water, no argument
there. It’s good there
will be a ‘cross community
and cross agency approach’
to tackle this issue.
However, I learned
recently that two major
weeds, gorse and broom,
are very adept at extracting
nitrogen from the air and
putting it in the soil which
then leaches into our water.
Why hasn’t ECan ever
mentioned this as they
only seem to demonise
cows as the sole source of
nitrates in our water? – D
Downward
Pigeons
My sympathies to Dorothy
Gosser (The Star, April
15). It sounds extreme.
While not familiar with
the Burnside problem, I
can say if Christchurch
does not have a pigeon
problem now it is not far
away judging by the huge
flocks of pigeons regularly
commuting from the city
Mayor
Lianne Dalziel
Each year on Anzac Day,
I reflect on how wrong the
description of the ‘war to
end all wars’ truly was in
the wake of the conflicts
where our armed forces
have served over the decades
since.
At the same time as
we honour the sacrifices
that have been made by
those who have served, we
must commit to learning
the lessons of war and to
the peaceful resolution of
conflict.
Lest we forget.
POIGNANT: Travelling freely across the Tasman
is testament to what can be achieved when we
act as one.
PHOTO: GEORGE HEARD
to northern regions and
back to town.
Some people think they
are going to food sources
in the Waimakariri River
and neighbouring rural
areas.
I am surprised so few
people have noticed this
phenomenon as it is a daily
ritual. – Winton Royds
Bottle Lake
horses
I am concerned about
horses using the walking
tracks at Bottle Lake
Forest.
The riders have
designated areas to exercise
their animals on.
I have mentioned this to
the park rangers but this
has made no difference to
the problem.
It is quite confronting
for families with young
children to come up
against a group
of horses using the walking
tracks.
Also another concern is
that these animals defecate
on the tracks leaving quite
a mess.
My message to the riders
is: Keep off the walking
tracks and don’t spoil
people’s leisure. – Kevin
Jackson