Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 11 Mar 2022, 08:32 am Print

Image: World Uyghur Congress website
Beijing: China has slammed a decision taken by Norway’s sovereign wealth fund to sell off its stake in a Chinese company due to rights concerns, warning the move may cause “unnecessary losses” for Oslo.
The Norwegian central bank said Monday it would divest from sports brand Li-Ning “due to unacceptable risk that the company contributes to serious human rights violations”, after its ethics council linked the company with forced labour in China’s Xinjiang region, reports South China Morning Post.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian reacted to the development and told reporters: "China has stressed many times that the accusation of so-called forced labor in Xinjiang is a preposterous lie invented by anti-China forces and has no factual basis."
"We hope relevant parties can distinguish right from wrong and will not be deceived by lies so as to avoid unnecessary losses to their own interests," he said.
Who are Uyghur Muslims?
Uyghur Muslims are a Turkic minority ethnic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the general region of Central and East Asia.
The Uyghurs are recognized as native to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China.
- Donald Trump-led US government to honour Bangladeshi women student protest leaders who led July uprising for 'bravery'
- Pakistan: Baloch activist Mahrang denied in-person family visit, claims her sister
- Uyghur rapper Yashar Shohret serving prison term in China over composing lyrics deemed to promote 'extremism'
- Insecurity worsens for stateless Rohingya amid slash in aid, says UNHCR’s Grandi
- US Department of State condemns any instance of violence, intolerance against minority communities in Bangladesh