The U. S. State Department has issued highly public criticism of China in its latest annual report on the global state of human trafficking. China is among
The U. S. State Department has issued highly public criticism of China in its latest annual report on the global state of human trafficking.
China is among the worst offenders of human trafficking, according to the Trafficking In Persons report. It’s now lumped in with “Tier 3” offenders such as Syria, Iran, Russia and North Korea — the worst designation.
Tier 3 is used to describe countries that are making no significant effort to comply with international standards. The last time China was ranked part of this group was in 2013, and since then it had moved up a half-notch.
“China was downgraded to Tier 3 status in this year’s report in part because it has not taken serious steps to end its own complicity in trafficking, including forced labors from North Korea that are located in China, ” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in remarks introducing the 454-page report.
North Korea receives hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from forced labor sent primarily from China and Russia, he said.
The downgrading has the potential to increase tensions between the U. S. and China, NPR’s Michele Kelemen reports. China is North Korea’s primary ally, and the U. S. has been trying to enlist Beijing’s help in persuading Pyongyang to halt its nuclear program.
The Tier 3 designation could mean restrictions on certain kinds of foreign aid funding not tied to humanitarian or trade issues, according to the report.
