URUMQI, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Xinjiang Cotton Association on Thursday urged international brands like Uniqlo to respect and trust cotton from the region, restore its usage, and support the healthy and steady development of the global cotton textile industry.

The association's statement follows a recent claim made by Tadashi Yanai, founder of Japan's clothing retail giant Uniqlo, who said that his company does not use cotton sourced from Xinjiang in its products.

"We firmly reject such a claim," the association said in the statement published through its official WeChat account.

The association called on the international community and textile and apparel companies to respect facts and discern anti-Xinjiang remarks and actions through rational analysis and choices.

With its unique climate and advantageous geographical location, Xinjiang boasts advantaged natural conditions for the growth of cotton, which is among the best in the world, the statement said.

Since the so-called "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA)" was signed into law in the United States in 2021, businesses have been forced to abandon or displace Xinjiang products for fear of being implicated or sanctioned. Such actions have severely distorted normal international trade ties, and caused disarray in the global supply chain, industry analysts say.

"The United States has repeatedly spread rumors about Xinjiang cotton under the guise of 'human rights' and attempted to deprive the people in Xinjiang of their right to improve their lives through hard work and employment," the association said.

"Using the utterly baseless allegations of 'forced labor,' the United States has discredited and boycotted Xinjiang cotton and related products," the association noted. "We firmly reject these actions."

As China's largest cotton-growing region, Xinjiang produced over 5.11 million tonnes of cotton in 2023.

Xinjiang cotton not only provides high-quality raw textile materials for China and the world, but also plays a significant role in promoting local economic development and employment, according to the association.

The cotton industry in Xinjiang has become more mechanized and intelligent, with the mechanized cotton planting rate hitting 100 percent and its mechanized cotton picking rate reaching about 90 percent, it said.