WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott released the below statement following the news that several clothing manufacturers altered or removed statements on their websites critical of Communist China’s forced labor in Xinjiang over fears of backlash.

In March, Senator Scott praised companies, including H&M, for standing up to Communist China’s genocide of Uyghur Muslims. Senator Scott also sponsored the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act to ensure that goods made with Uyghur forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region do not enter the United States.

Senator Rick Scott said, “General Secretary Xi is a thug who intimidates companies into silence over his genocide in Xinjiang and his takeover of Hong Kong. More retailers must take a stand for human rights, even in the face of criticism from Communist China. More retailers should be willing to follow the example of companies like H&M, that did the right thing by publicly expressing concern over forced labor and auditing their supply chains to ensure they are not complicit in this genocide and torture of Uyghurs. In the face of such great atrocities, there is no room for ambiguity. I encourage every American to signal their opposition to this genocide, stop buying products made in Communist China and support companies that stand up for human rights.”

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