Közet

Uyghur Monitor

Közet

Uyghur Monitor

Radar

U.S. bars imports from BGI and MGI under the forced-labor law, German and Swiss presidents meet Xi on Friday, Global Times calls the genomics listing “absurd”

Közet Staff

Közet’s daily roundup of news on Uyghurs, their homeland, and the world around them. Thursday, October 29, 2026.

TOP LINE

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security added BGI Genomics Co., MGI Tech Co. and Shenzhen BGI Technology Co., known as BGI Group, to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act entity list on Wednesday, with the notice published in the Federal Register on Thursday; goods made wholly or in part by the three Shenzhen-based genomics companies are now presumed to be made with forced labor and barred from entry unless an importer rebuts the presumption with clear and convincing evidence. DHS said in a statement that the companies “support genetic testing in Xinjiang alongside the regional government” and help it “build and operate mass surveillance infrastructure”; all three were listed under the law’s criterion for entities working with the regional government in connection with forced labor, and BGI Genomics and BGI Group also under the criterion covering state “poverty alleviation” and “pairing assistance” programs. The list now holds 190 entities. BGI Group said, “We firmly reject all allegations,” and MGI Tech called the allegations “unfounded and inconsistent with the facts” and said it would seek removal from the list, Global Times, a tabloid published by People’s Daily, reported on Thursday. China’s commerce ministry said on Thursday it “strongly condemns and firmly opposes” the listings, that “there is no forced labor in China,” and that it “will take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its own interests,” Xinhua, the state news agency, reported. The U.S. Commerce Department placed two BGI units on its own entity list in July 2020 for what it called “conducting genetic analyses used to further the repression of Uighurs,” which the company denied at the time. (U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Federal Register; Global Times, a tabloid published by People’s Daily; Xinhua, the state news agency; Reuters, 2020)

HOMELAND

Regional plan orders “AI + immigration management” pilots at ports and borders, citywide sensing and “smart” identity checks. The regional government’s general office has issued a 2026 to 2028 plan for “cultivating and opening application scenarios” for new technology, posted on the regional Development and Reform Commission’s site on Wednesday, which directs pilots of two “AI + immigration management” scenarios for what it calls “port” and “border” management, and “ground-air linked” systems serving “border prevention and control,” low-altitude security and road inspection. The plan calls for “intelligent identity authentication” to cover all online and offline government services, a “citywide sensing system” and “one network” management of city operations, “Tianshan Golden Shield” police-enterprise liaison rooms, and AI models for “security protection” alongside oil and gas, textiles and health care; it also lists “precise matching of people and posts” and “smart labor relations” among employment scenarios to develop. The document implements a State Council directive of 2025, sets 2028 as the date for the policy framework to be in place, and refers to a first batch of flagship projects in an annex that was not posted with the text. (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission)

Magnitude 4.2 earthquake in Jing (Jinghe). A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck Jing (Jinghe) county in Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture at 11:40 p.m. on Wednesday, Beijing time, at a depth of 17 kilometers, the regional earthquake agency said in a bulletin early Thursday, citing the China Earthquake Networks Center and giving the epicenter as 44.29 degrees north, 82.68 degrees east. (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Earthquake Agency)

INTERNATIONAL

Two European presidents meet Xi on Friday, one to sign a trade deal with labor-standards language. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is due to speak at Peking University on Thursday and to hold talks on Friday with National People’s Congress chairman Zhao Leji, Premier Li Qiang and Xi Jinping, according to the program published by his office on October 21; the visit is the first by a German head of state since 2018. Swiss President Guy Parmelin meets Xi the same day and signs a protocol upgrading the 2014 Swiss-Chinese free trade agreement, which the Swiss government says strengthens “environmental and labour standards,” ten days after the Swiss foreign ministry raised Uyghurs and the ethnic-unity law at the two countries’ human rights dialogue in Bern. (Office of the Federal President; Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs)

MEDIA WATCH

Global Times answers the BGI listing with “absurd” and an August ministry quote. Global Times, a tabloid published by People’s Daily, the Communist Party’s newspaper, headlined its Thursday report on the U.S. listings “‘forced labor’ allegations absurd: expert,” quoting He Weiwen of the Center for China and Globalization, a Beijing think tank, as saying Washington is using the forced-labor law to hobble China’s genomics industry. The paper quoted the commerce ministry’s August statement on the previous round of listings, which called that action “typical economic coercion” and urged the United States to “immediately stop its attacks and smears against Xinjiang.” (Global Times, a tabloid published by People’s Daily)

ON THE RADAR

  • Today, Washington: The BGI and MGI listings take effect.
  • Friday, Beijing: German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s talks with Zhao Leji, Li Qiang and Xi Jinping, per the Federal President’s program; Swiss President Guy Parmelin’s meeting with Xi and the signing of the upgraded Swiss-Chinese free trade protocol, per the Swiss government.
  • Saturday, Istanbul: “Uygur 12 Makam – Sanat Rüzgarı,” the twelve-muqam concert at Zeytinburnu Culture and Arts Center, reception 6:30 p.m., concert 7:30 p.m. local time, per UygurHaber.

Radar is compiled by Közet’s editors from Közet’s own reporting, public documents and other outlets’ work, attributed in each item. Where Közet has read the underlying record, the item says so; where it could not verify a claim, the item says that too. Statements by governments and companies are reported as statements, not facts. Uyghur place names appear first, with the official Chinese name in parentheses. Published weekdays at 10:00 a.m. Eastern. Editorial standards and corrections: kozet.org/editorial-standards.

Sources