Adrian Zenz
Director in China Studies, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. Member, European Commission Expert Group on Forced Labor. Research: Xinjiang, Tibet, ILO, state-imposed forced labor, OSINT. victimsofcommunism.org/leader/adrian-zenz-phd
- "Irreparable harm": Critical new statement from UN Special Procedures highlights strategic nexus between land seizure and an alarming increase in forced labor transfers in Xinjiang and Tibet. Thread: www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...
- I am honored to be appointed to the European Commission's Expert Group on Forced Labor, informing guidelines and indicators for the EU Forced Labor Regulation (EUFLR) through expert meetings in Brussels. 2026 will be pivotal for EUFLR implementation. My focus will be on state-imposed forced labor.
- Excited to see our 136-page report on Uyghur forced labor in Xinjiang's agricultural production & land grabbing now published with University of Sheffield's International Network for Critical China Studies. sites.google.com/sheffield.ac...
- Great to see the International Network for Critical China Studies (INCCS) officially launch. I am proud to be part of it. sheffield.ac.uk/las/news/new...
- Major victory: Chinese tomato exports to Italy collapse, following our research report & BBC investigation into tomato-linked Uyghur forced labor and land-grabbing. Official 2025 customs data confirms the collapse. Over 2/3 of China’s tomato exports are linked to Xinjiang. Report links below:
- Next week we hold our annual China Forum in Washington, DC, with panels on Transnational Repression, Uyghur forced labor, responding to China's global agenda, and the rising challenge of techno-authoritarianism. Registration link and list of speakers below: 👇
- At #APSA2025 in Vancouver, I was privileged to present papers on Investigative Policy Analysis, the research methodology I use to uncover Xinjiang's policies, and on the information-coercion nexus in authoritarian repression. The venue featured stunning panoramic views.
- Systemic Coercion, Forced Labor, and Land Grabbing in Xinjiang's Agricultural Sector: Our recent research report provides a detailed analysis of the systemic, state-imposed forced labor present throughout Xinjiang's agricultural sector. THREAD:
- The Cost of Silence: Reflections Three Years After the Xinjiang Police Files Leak Powerful op-ed by Rahima Mahmut: "despite the outcry that followed, despite the condemnations and calls for justice, we have seen very little in the way of concrete action" bitterwinter.org/the-cost-of-...
- Major media investigation finds thousands of Uyghurs forced to work in 75 factories across 11 Chinese regions, with links to major western companies. I supported this joint investigation into state-imposed forced labor transfers by @nytimes.com @spiegel.de @tbij.bsky.social. THREAD: 👇
- It was my privilege to write the foreword for "Unbroken", the testimony and story of @rushanabbas.bsky.social. This powerful book details Rushan's activism and her inspiring fight for her imprisoned sister despite targeted smear campaigns and continued opposition. 🧵
- It was my pleasure to contribute analysis and internal Chinese state documents to this important investigation.
- Today I joined a panel on Uyghur women's reproductive rights violations as a side event of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), alongside @rushanabbas.bsky.social, @sophiedrich.bsky.social, organized by @cuyghurs.bsky.social. Related recent publication: www.cjlpa.org/post/sexual-...
- Essay by @jwassers.bsky.social on the eerie parallels between Thailand's deportation of Uyghurs in 2015 and recently in 2025. www.npr.org/2025/03/08/n...
- Devastating development: 40 Uyghurs have been sent from Thailand to Xinjiang where they face severe rights abuses. China's embassy in Thailand posts pictures parading "Chinese illegal immigrants," claiming that after "fulfilling relevant legal procedures" they will be "returned to normal life."
- Pleased to see my latest work on the evolution of Xinjiang's mass re-education published in the Journal of Contemporary China. It draws on new internal state files & and witness accounts to assess the policy evolution of the mass internments between 2013-2018. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
- Important new report of ILO's Committee of Experts notes "widespread" forced labor in both Xinjiang and Tibet, affecting a wide range of industrial and agricultural sectors, and accompanied by land dispossession of ethnic farmers. Thread: www.ilo.org/sites/defaul...
- Major scandal in France as @decathlonfrance.bsky.social, the world's biggest sports equipment retailer, is linked to Uyghur forced labor. On undercover video, Chinese staff confirm use of Xinjiang cotton. I supported this investigation with detailed research & analysis. Sources in thread.
