Forced Uyghur Labor Allegedly Used in Chinese PCB Factories Supplying Global Electronics Brands

On May 29, Germany’s Der Spiegel, The New York Times, and the UK’s Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) jointly released an investigative report revealing that several factories in mainland China are employing large numbers of Uyghurs from Xinjiang through so-called “labor transfer programs”—methods that appear to involve coercive labor practices.

The transnational investigation team analyzed Chinese government statistics, international customs records, and tens of thousands of videos from Douyin (China's version of TikTok) to identify at least 75 factories across 11 Chinese provinces suspected of using forced Uyghur labor.

Journalists visited 24 of these factories, with a detailed exposé focusing on an electronics factory located in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province. The facility is surrounded by high walls, barbed wire, and guard posts, with strictly controlled entry and exit. Security personnel at the entrance confirmed that young Uyghur workers from Xinjiang had recently been brought into the facility.

According to the report, these workers are involved in the production of printed circuit boards (PCBs), which are widely used in smartphones, automotive electronics, and consumer devices. The investigation further revealed that the factory supplies products to LG, the South Korean electronics giant. In multiple Douyin videos uploaded by the laborers, workers can be seen wearing uniforms emblazoned with the “LG” logo.