of imposing more severe Treasury Department sanctions on Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co., which makes cameras and surveillance systems used in Xinjiang.
The focus on Xinjiang is part of broader US efforts to rally allies and partners around the world to pressure China on a range of fronts, including its diplomatic support for Russia and suppression of democracy in Hong Kong. While China and the US both still trade with each other more than any other country, in recent years they have started to wall off economic ties in strategic areas on national security grounds.
The State Department report shows a recognition that the US alone can’t exert enough economic pressure on China to force changes to its Xinjiang policies, according to Adrian Zenz, senior fellow in China Studies at the Washington-based Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, who has conducted extensive research on Xinjiang.
“The report outlines a strategy that is far ahead of what I have seen from other nations,” Zenz said. “If this is implemented, it represents a clear step up from previous efforts.” The report says the US will seek to identify companies or other entities that may benefit from forced labor in Xinjiang, without naming any entities. The US, according to the report, will work with companies to conduct “supply chain due diligence to prevent the importation of goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor in Xinjiang into the United States.”