Trump Will Name China One of the World's Worst Human Traffickers

So much for that "great chemistry." The Trump administration is set to fray whatever closer links it has forged with Beijing recently by listing China among the world's worst offenders in human trafficking, putting it in the same company as typical pariah countries Iran, Syria, Zimbabwe, and North Korea. Analysts warn the decision risks politicizing the report instead of encouraging action and will only "enrage Beijing."

According to multiple reports citing sources within the administration, the move to downgrade China to Tier 3 status will be announced by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson when he unveils the State Department's annual Trafficking in Persons Report to Congress. The decision comes at a time when relations between Washington and Beijing had appeared to thaw after an uncertain start to the new administration, with US president Donald Trump touting a strong bond and "great chemistry" with Chinese president Xi Jinping after their first meeting in April. Helping to unveil the report will be Ivanka Trump, who recently led Congress in a bipartisan roundtable discussion about global human trafficking. Despite her calls to end trafficking and forced labor, the White House adviser has herself been embroiled in human rights issues related to her apparel and accessories factories in China.

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