UK judge rejects Uyghur bid to halt Xinjiang cotton imports

LONDON (AP) — A British judge has rejected a lawsuit that accused the U.K. government of allowing the import of cotton products associated with forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region. High Court justice Ian Dove ruled Friday against a Uyghur organization and a human rights group who claimed the government unlawfully failed to investigate conditions in which cotton was produced. The judge agreed with the British government that there are problems meeting the standard of evidence needed for criminal investigation and prosecution. But he said “there are clear and widespread abuses in the cotton industry” in Xinjiang. The lawsuit is one of several legal challenges aimed at pressing the U.K. and European Union to block Xinjiang cotton.