Officials in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region held a news conference on December 12 to refute allegations of forced labor transfer, claiming there's freedom of movement for residents in Xinjiang to seek employment in other parts of the country. They added that per capita annual income of migrant workers from Xinjiang is at 40,000 yuan ($6,290), and it's on par with that of workers in other parts of the Chinese mainland. The news conference was held after the U.S. House of Representatives passed last week its version of a bill prohibiting imports believed to be connected to alleged labor abuses in Xinjiang.