U.S. reprimands China over sex trafficking

WASHINGTON — The State Department on Tuesday listed China as one of the countries with the worst records on sex trafficking and forced labor, a downgraded designation that could nettle Beijing as Washington is seeking its help choking off North Korea over nuclear weapons.

China was dropped one notch from a watch list to Tier 3, the lowest ranking, in the State Department’s annual human trafficking report.

The report said China had made no meaningful efforts to curb forced labor and human trafficking and suggested it had backslid by decreasing law enforcement efforts.

Theoretically, the rating could result in sanctions, though presidents often waive that step.

In an introductory letter to the report, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said governments bear responsibility to criminalize human trafficking and hold offenders accountable.

“The United States is a leader in the fight against human trafficking,” he wrote. “We seek justice for victims and accountability for offenders.”

Tillerson’s personal appearance for the report’s unveiling was striking because he skipped the public rollout of the human rights report in March, a move that invited some criticism.

The ceremony was also attended by Ivanka Trump, who has hosted a White House roundtable on fighting human trafficking and met in Rome with African women who were trafficked into prostitution. The president’s daughter has a fashion line with many items that are made in China.

Earlier this month, the State Department called for China to release three labor activists who were arrested while investigating conditions at factories that manufacture Ivanka Trump-branded shoes.