China’s viscose sector pulled into Xinjiang furore

BEIJING – A leading Chinese viscose producer has been dragged into the global row around forced labour and human rights violations in Xinjiang. An investigation by the South China Morning Post (SCMP) found links between a Chinese manufacturer and sanctioned entities and factories within miles of suspected detention camps in Xinjiang.

Much of China’s viscose sector, which produces around 65 per cent of global viscose staple fibre, is focused in the east of the country. However, SCMP’s investigation traced the supply chain for viscose from Finland’s forests to state-run factories in Xinjiang, with viscose supply then “fanning out around the world.”