In a recent paper, German author Adrian Zenz accuses Chinese authorities of forcing hundreds of thousands of Uygurs to pick cotton. But local farmers have dismissed the allegations, saying the claims have caused them to suffer economic losses. The farmers, joined by officials, addressed a news conference in Beijing this morning. Huang Yue reports. 

As a cotton farmer from the city of Kuqa in Aksu Prefecture, Mijit Timit owns 200-thousand square meters of farmland, generating an annual income of about 150-thousand yuan – more than 23-thousand U.S. dollars.

Several years back, he'd hire cotton pickers from either Xinjiang or other parts of China. But now, he uses harvest machines, which he says are both more efficient and cost less. Mijit says picking cotton is a well-paid job. And that's why migrant workers come all the way to Xinjiang during the harvest season.

MIJIT TIMIT Farmer, Kuqa City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region "We're earning money by harvesting the cotton grown by ourselves – how can you call that 'forced labor?' The cotton pickers we used to hire could earn about 10-thousand yuan in two months. Many people rushed to apply for the job – and you think they were forced?"

Xu Guixiang from the Publicity Department of Xinjiang says cotton picking used to be a popular choice for migrant workers from other provinces, such as Henan and Sichuan. He says local employers would not only pay them high salaries. They'd also provide free meals and house them. And he says their labor rights were guaranteed.

XU GUIXIANG Deputy Director, Publicity Department of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region "In recent years, the number of such cotton pickers from other provinces have decreased because the income of the rural labor force has also been increasing in inland areas of China."

HUANG YUE Beijing "The official also says with the development of technology, cotton production has been highly mechanized in Xinjiang. Even during the busy harvest season, there is no need for a large number of cotton pickers. In fact, about 95 percent of cotton in northern Xinjiang was harvested by machines last year."

Zenz's claims of "forced labor" in Xinjiang have caused some countries to decrease or even stop importing cotton products from there. Xu Guixiang confirms that some enterprises and locals are now suing the author for economic losses, and the damage done to their reputations. Huang Yue, CGTN, Beijing.