Press Releases

U.S. CBP Issues Withhold Release Order Against Serbia Zijin Copper; Action Builds on China Labor Watch Investigation

Copper and copper products from Serbia Zijin Copper D.O.O. now barred from U.S. ports — the second U.S. forced-labor enforcement action targeting a Chinese-owned operation in Serbia NEW YORK, June 17, 2026: On June 16, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a Withhold Release Order (WRO) against Serbia Zijin Copper D.O.O., directing personnel at all U.S. ports of entry to detain shipments of copper and copper products produced by the company on the basis of evidence reasonably indicating…

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New Investigation Reveals Labor Rights Risks for Chinese Migrant Workers at BYD Hungary Construction Site

Szeged, Hungary — A new investigation by China Labor Watch (CLW) has identified serious labor rights concerns affecting Chinese migrant workers at the construction site of BYD’s electric vehicle manufacturing facility in Szeged, Hungary. Based on field research conducted in October and November 2025, including interviews with 50 workers, and one additional field work in early 2026 to confirm finding, the report documents systemic labor risks associated with subcontracted employment arrangements. These include excessive working hours, opaque wage practices, recruitment-related…

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CLW Submission for the Public Comment on the Implementation of the EU Rules on Forced Labor

China Labor Watch (CLW) submitted the following comments in response to the European Commissions call for public feedback on the implementation guidelines for the Forced Labor Regulation (FLR). The Commission should consider to: 1. Clarify evidentiary thresholds for substantiated concern under Art. 9(2) using ILO indicators. 2. Accept triangulated, partial evidence where structural barriers limit documentation. 3. Adopt a victim-centered and harm-reduction approach to evidence assessment (Art. 14). 4. Avoid over-reliance on corporate-commissioned third-party audits. 5. Require quantifiable and publicly…

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China Labor Watch Submits Evidence to U.S. CBP and Germany’s BAFA

China Labor Watch has submitted evidence to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regarding suspected forced labor at a factory manufacturing the Labubu toy. The organization also provided evidence to Germany’s Federal Office for Economic and Export Control (BAFA) under the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG). Labubu is licensed by the designer toy company, Popmart. The findings of our investigation reveal serious labor rights violations. Workers reported excessive working hours, with more than 100 hours of overtime per…

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Articles Published in 2025 by Li Qiang, Executive Director of China Labor Watch

Over the past year, I have published 14 opinion articles in The Diplomat, The Hill, and South China Morning Post. Across these pieces, I return to a central argument that is often avoided but increasingly difficult to ignore: China’s global competitive advantage is not primarily the result of efficiency, innovation, or industrial upgrading, but of a system that systematically suppresses labor rights, social costs, and accountability. Building on this premise, my writing examines how China’s low-rights model underpins its manufacturing…

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China Labor Watch Statement on the UK Government’s Public Engagement with Pop Mart

China Labor Watch expresses serious concern regarding the UK government’s recent decision to publicly engage with and endorse the Chinese designer toy company Pop Mart, including welcoming the company’s establishment of London as its European hub. Just ten days ago, China Labor Watch released an independent investigative report on a core manufacturing facility associated with Pop Mart. Based on first-hand worker interviews and document review, the report highlighted multiple ongoing labor rights violations. This includes excessive overtime, inadequate labor protections,…

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China Labor Watch Investigation Finds Labor Violations at Labubu Toy Factory Supplying Pop Mart

China Labor Watch (CLW) has released the findings of an in-depth investigation into Shunjia Toys Co., Ltd., a major original equipment manufacturer (OEM) producing Labubu designer toys for Pop Mart, revealing widespread labor rights violations at a core manufacturing facility in Xinfeng County, Jiangxi Province. Labubu, a fang-toothed designer toy created by artist Kasing Lung and licensed by Pop Mart, emerged in 2025 as a global cultural phenomenon, selling out rapidly across Asia, Europe, and North America. The toy’s popularity…

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Statement by China Labor Watch at the United Nations Constructive Dialogue on Trafficking in Persons on Oct 8, 2025

This is the official statement delivered by China Labor Watch at the United Nations Constructive Dialogue on Trafficking in Persons on October 8: Our investigations have found that labor trafficking within international critical mineral supply chains and construction projects is both systemic and transnational, yet remains rarely acknowledged or addressed. Workers have reported being deceived by online recruitment scams, paying exorbitant fees, and signing fraudulent contracts. Upon arrival, many were forced to surrender their passports and subjected to severe restrictions…

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China Labor Watch Raises Serious Concerns Over Alleged Labor Violations at Foxconn iPhone 17 Factory 

China Labor Watch Investigation Reveals Labor Conditions at Foxconn Zhengzhou Raises Labor Rights Concerns in Apple’s iPhone 17 Supply Chain. Report finds over half of workforce are dispatch workers, with other issues include wage withholding, excessive overtime, discrimination, and dispatch workers with student status forced onto night shifts. New York, September 25, 2025 — China Labor Watch (CLW) today released a new investigative report, Apple’s Dependence on China in Its Supply Chain: An Investigation of Foxconn Zhengzhou. During the manufacturing…

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How the Responsible Business Alliance Fails Workers: Recurrent Labor Risks in Foxconn Factories and RBA-Member Companies

The Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) claims to set leading standards for onsite compliant audits. Yet, its member companies keep failing to prevent serious labor risks, and the RBA continues to ignore China Labor Watch’s (CLW) request for increased transparency. Since January 2024, CLW and nine other civil society groups have been actively engaging the RBA on the disconnect between their audit findings and the reality on the ground for workers. While we have called on the RBA to introduce transparency…

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China Labor Watch Raises Serious Concerns Regarding the Lack of Transparency in Foxconn’s Audit Disclosure and RBA’s Practices

China Labor Watch (CLW) expresses deep concern over Foxconn’s recent claims of labor compliances at its manufacturing campuses, made without disclosing essential audit details. On April 1, 2025,  Foxconn (Hon Hai Technology Group) announced that nine of its factories in China, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, and Mexico has passed third-party audits under the Responsible Business Alliance’s (RBA) Validated Assessment Program (VAP). The company claimed this demonstrates a commitment to compliance and transparency in labor rights, environment, occupational health, and ethical governance. However, it failed…

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