Human Rights & China: August 15, 2025

August 15, 2025 | Domino Theory

Cargo companies have opened dozens of routes connecting European cities and China since June 2024, according to new analysis of flight history data by Washington advocacy group Uyghur Human Rights Project.

As of May 2025 more than 40 freight routes connected Europe to Urumqi and Kashgar international airports, according to the report. The flights carry goods including electronics, e-commerce goods and agricultural products, which are at high risk of being produced with Uyghur forced labor.

“These cargo routes … represent a dangerous normalization of trade with a region where atrocity crimes are ongoing and forced labor is widespread,” said report co-author Peter Irwin, Associate Director for Research and Advocacy at the Uyghur Human Rights Project.

Cited: Report by Peter Irwin and Dr. Henryk Szadziewski (Manifest Risk: New “Air Silk Road” Cargo Flights Carry Risk of Uyghur Forced Labor into Europe).

Read the full article: https://dominotheory.com/human-rights-china-august-15-2025/