“China has consistently opposed forced labour,” a spokesperson for the ministry said in a statement.

The statement follows shortly after the US placed an additional 43 Chinese companies on its UFLPA Entity List, in the single biggest expansion since its enforcement.

The US claims the 43 additional firms have direct links to Xinjiang or engage in activities such as sourcing raw materials from, or cooperating with authorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. 

The UFLPA assumes all goods produced in China’s Xinjiang region are made using forced labour and are therefore banned from entering the US.

“Xinjiang enjoys social harmony and stability and sustains economic development, with people living and working in peace and contentment. There is simply no such thing as so-called forced labour in Xinjiang in any form," the ministry claimed in response.

China's Ministry of Commerce also warned that the US' actions will disrupt global supply chains, adding that it will “take necessary measures” in response.

China blacklists compliance firms

The update also arrives as China has blacklisted US compliance testing companies and imposed sanctions on six US companies.

China’s Ministry of Commerce claims the six companies have “assisted and supported illegal US sanctions related to Xinjiang”.

The list of companies includes Applied DNA Sciences, which local newspaper Global Times reports has advertised its cotton traceability technology as a method to support the implementation of UFLPA.

“The six US entities assisted and supported the illegal US sanctions related to Xinjiang and their actions were egregious in nature,” the ministry said in a statement.

The news follows shortly after China introduced new rules aimed at countering “unlawful extraterritorial jurisdiction measures” that some experts say will make it more difficult for global brands to comply with due diligence legislation.