BEIJING, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese industry association has voiced strong opposition to the United States' decision to add 43 Chinese companies, including cotton textile firms, to the so-called "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List," saying the move seriously violates the basic rules of international trade.

A cotton farmer holds cotton to his face to check crop quality in Shawan city, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Oct 23, 2021. (Photo: Xinhua)

The China Cotton Association (CCA) said in a statement released on Saturday that the U.S. allegations of "forced labor" lack factual and legal basis, noting that China's cotton industry has consistently followed a market-oriented and modern development path.

In Xinjiang, a major cotton-producing region in China, more than 90 percent of cotton harvesting is now carried out by machines, with highly automated and large-scale operations covering the entire industrial chain from planting and harvesting to processing and textile production, the association said.

The labor rights and interests of cotton farmers and industry workers are strictly protected by Chinese laws, and their employment choices are completely voluntary, it said. "There is no so-called 'forced labor.'"

The U.S. move disregards facts and imposes a "presumption of guilt" on Chinese companies, the association said, adding that the true intent behind such a move is to politicize and weaponize human rights issues in an attempt to contain the development of China's cotton and textile industries.

The sanctions will also undermine the stability of global cotton industrial and supply chains and infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, according to the CCA.

China's cotton industry is confident in and capable of overcoming challenges posed by external pressure, it said, noting that China has the world's most complete cotton and textile industrial chains, a vast domestic consumer market and an increasingly diversified international market layout.

The association said it will continue to support and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese cotton and textile enterprises.