A photovoltaic (PV) power station is seen in Changning, Central China's Hunan Province on Monday. The project is part of a local government effort to help lift residents out of poverty. China has also called for efforts to implement its rural vitalization strategy, which is expected to generate faster growth for the residential solar power industry. Photo: cnsphoto

A government spokesperson for Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Monday blasted the US' ban on photovoltaic (PV) firms in the region as a protectionist move to help its own industry and part of a broad plot to contain China that has nothing to do with the protection of human rights as it claimed. 

During a press conference in Beijing, Xu Guixiang, the spokesperson, said that by adding Xinjiang's PV companies to its entity list, the US' actual purpose was to help its own companies gain unfair advantage, disrupt the region's PV sector and economic development and ultimately contain China.

On June 24, the US Commerce Department put Hoshine Silicon Industry (Shanshan) Co, and three other Chinese companies - Xinjiang Daqo New Energy Co, Xinjiang East Hope Nonferrous Metals Co and Xinjiang GCL New Energy Material Technology Co, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps on an entity list, citing widely debunked claims of "forced labor" in the region.

Xu pointed out that the US has used the same groundless excuse to crack down on Xinjiang's cotton sector and deployed its state power again to extend the "black hand" toward Xinjiang's PV sector, adding that such a move is essentially protectionism and hegemonism that seriously violates international trade rules and market principles. 

In response to the US' ban last month, the China Photovoltaic (PV) Industry Association said that the US' accusation of "forced labor" against the Xinjiang solar industry was "baseless." 

The industry body called on organizations and individuals to physically visit Xinjiang in order to enhance their understanding about Xinjiang's polysilicon industry, PV industry and local socioeconomic development, according to an article.

It added that a probe had found workers of all ethnic groups enjoy the right of remuneration for labor and the right to rest and take leave. Their right to access social security benefits is also protected. 

"We learned during the field research that the development of Xinjiang's polysilicon industry and PV industry has greatly boosted the global PV applications and Xinjiang's socioeconomic development," said the association. 

Global Times