A Canadian human rights watchdog has issued an initial assessment report regarding Zara Canada’s supply chain associations with Chinese firms accused of using forced labour from the Uyghur community in China. The Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) said its investigation is a result of complaints filed by a coalition of 28 Canadian organizations in June 2022. These complainants alleged that Zara Canada, dating back to before May 1, 2019, has been implicated in the use of forced labour from Uyghurs through its suppliers: Huafu Top Dyed Melange Yarn Co. Ltd., Shandong Zoucheng Guosheng, and Xinjiang Zhongtai Group. The ombudsperson noted that Zara Canada has denied the allegations and has suggested that the complaint is inadmissible because the alleged human rights violations are not directly related to its operations. According to the report, Zara Canada has also declined to participate in mediation, reiterating its position that the complaint is inadmissible in a Jan. 16 letter to CORE....Read more https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/human-rights-watchdog-probes-zaras-alleged-use-of-uyghur-forced-labour-in-china-5525140
The U.S. State Department, along with several U.S. lawmakers, are raising concerns over pressure that the regime in Beijing is exerting on South Korean theaters to block a New York-based arts group from performing in the country. An Epoch Times investigation previously revealed that the Chinese Embassy in South Korea was threatening theaters—using financial and diplomatic leverage—against Shen Yun Performing Arts, an internationally acclaimed classical Chinese dance and music company that showcases “China before communism.” A State Department spokesperson responded to a question about the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) interference on Nov. 7, saying it’s “a concern” and one that the United States will “continue to address in close partnership with Japan [and] with other countries in the Indo-Pacific.”...
Senators across the political spectrum are calling for transparency in third-party funding of litigations in U.S. courts, citing large amounts of “foreign-sourced” money pouring into U.S. civil suits against companies and industries that pose significant national and economic security threats. Last week, in a letter to the chief judges of Florida’s three federal districts—a total of 15 district courts—Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) sought the enforcement of disclosure rules for foreign third-party litigation funding (TPLF). “Foreign Third-Party Litigation Funding poses a threat to our judicial system as it allows for foreign actors, including adversaries, to represent their interests in U.S. courts,” the two senators said, adding, “This is especially troubling as they are not parties in the suit.”...
U.S. and Chinese officials met in Washington this week to discuss nuclear nonproliferation and maintaining open lines of communication between the two nations. A delegation led by Assistant Secretary of State Mallory Stewart met with communist China’s Director-General of Arms Control Sun Xiaobo on Nov. 6, according to a State Department readout. The U.S. delegation included senior officials from the Departments of State, Defense, and Energy, and the National Security Council. The meeting follows an October report by the Pentagon which found that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) now possesses more than 500 nuclear weapons, meeting that target more than two years before U.S. military officials previously believed the regime would....