McCaul: “A Climate Deal That Accepts Slave Labor Is Unacceptable”

Washington, DC – House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul has released the following statement on reports that tie the polysilicon supply chain in the People’s Republic of China to Uyghur forced labor. 

“There are clear ties between the polysilicon supply chains in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and forced labor. That’s why I’m calling on the Commerce Department to comprehensively add PRC entities connected to the polysilicon supply chain, including GCL-Poly, to the Entity List and for U.S. Customs and Border Protection to issue a withhold release order for polysilicon products from Xinjiang. I also strongly urge the administration to engage with our partners and allies to take the same action.

“I would also caution Secretary Kerry and the Biden Administration against negotiating with the CCP on climate change. Not only is the PRC the largest polluter in the world, including through their Belt and Road Initiative, but one of their main technologies to mitigate carbon emissions is potentially tainted with forced labor. Climate concessions from the CCP may not even come to fruition, and a climate deal that accepts slave labor is unacceptable.”

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