Thread by @JChengWSJ

Beijing has shut down a U.S. labor auditor’s local China partner, escalating a campaign to counter forced-labor allegations in Xinjiang and complicating efforts by multinationals to certify supply chains in the country.
@Lingling_Wei @wsjeva @Trefor1
on.wsj.com/3z6U9yf

@Lingling_Wei @wsjeva @Trefor1 Though Verite was small, Disney and Apple have hired it to consult on labor issues at Chinese factories. Now, the closing of Verite's Shenzhen-based partner after an April raid on its offices deprives companies of a channel to conduct audits in China.
on.wsj.com/3z6U9yf

@Lingling_Wei @wsjeva @Trefor1 For weeks, Chinese law-enforcement regularly interrogated roughly eight Chinese staffers of Verite’s Shenzhen partner, who were required to report to the police at 9 a.m. every day and not allowed to leave until around 5 p.m.
on.wsj.com/3z6U9yf

@Lingling_Wei @wsjeva @Trefor1 Shenzhen Verite’s China operations have been shut down and authorities have closed the firm’s office. During a recent visit to Verite's Shenzhen office, items in the office could be seen boxed up through locked glass doors, while the rest lay in disarray.
on.wsj.com/3z6U9yf