Xinjiang Daqo New Energy, a leading manufacturer of polysilicon for the global photovoltaic industry, has announced record production of over 21,000 tonnes for the third quarter of 2021.

Located in Shihezi City, about a two-hour drive from Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Daqo is one of the five companies that were sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Commerce in June this year over allegations of using forced Uygur labor. However, the company's records suggest otherwise: By July, among 2,069 of its employees, only 23 were from ethnic groups, accounting for about 1 percent of the total, and none of them were Uygur or Kazak.