China's Belt and Road's "hidden cost" is forced labor: U.S. report

The U.S. State Department highlighted the use of forced labor in China's Belt and Road infrastructure project in its annual human trafficking report released Tuesday, while maintaining its assessment that Japan's efforts to eliminate trafficking are not yet sufficient.Calling forced labor the "hidden cost" of China's Belt and Road Initiative, the department said in the Trafficking in Persons Report, "All countries should be able to pursue development opportunities without sacrificing their respect for human rights."Countries interested in or currently hosting BRI projects should monitor wor…READ FULL ARTICLE