US lists China among worst for trafficking

THE US State Department has placed China on its global list of the worst offenders in human trafficking and forced labour, a step that may aggravate tensions with Beijing that had eased under the Trump presidency.

President Trump, however, has grown increasingly frustrated over China’s inaction on North Korea and bilateral trade issues, and is considering possible trade actions against Beijing, three senior administration officials told Reuters.

Burma was promoted to the Tier 2 Watch List of nations making significant efforts to meet minimum US standards, from Tier 3 (those countries not complying nor making a significant effort to do so). Afghanistan, Malaysia and Qatar were each upgraded to Tier 2. Tier 1 designates nations that meet minimum US standards.

The report said China, now in Tier 3, convicted fewer sex and labour traffickers in the 12 months to March 31 than in the previous year, forcibly repatriated North Koreans without screening them for indicators of trafficking, and handled most forced labour cases as administrative issues rather than criminal prosecutions.

“China was downgraded in part because it has not taken serious steps to end its own complicity in trafficking, including forced labourers from North Korea that are located in China,” said Rex Tillerson, the US secretary of state.