China branch of the global trade body Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has denied finding any signs of forced labor in Xinjiang province. Li Xuejun, Deputy Director, Standing Committee, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region said, it focused on improving sustainability across the country. The organization runs field programs in partnership with qualified local actors to deliver positive, measurable change to the environment and to the livelihoods and wellbeing of farming communities.

The initiative is currently focusing its efforts on Hubei, Hebei, Shandong and Gansu provinces. It supports over one 100,000 smallholder farmers in these provinces and is engaging in a constructive dialogue with all interested local actors across China. BCI represents nearly 2,000 member firms and brands around the world, from clothing retailers to cotton farmers. Some multinational companies like H&M and Nike, members of the BCI, are facing a backlash in China after they announced they were to suspend sourcing cotton from Xinjiang.