China Agrees to Let U.S. Inspect Prisons

China, resolving an irritant in its relations with Washington, has agreed to permit U.S. officials to carry out on-site inspections to ensure that no prison-made goods are exported to American markets, U.S. officials said Wednesday.

Some members of Congress have alleged that China has systematically violated U.S. law barring the importation of products made by prisoners.

The U.S. officials, asking not to be identified, said the agreement was reached in talks Wednesday in Beijing but that some final details remain to be worked out. The two sides have been discussing the issue since last October.

Congress has been demanding on-site prison inspections as one of several conditions for continuing to allow Chinese products access to U.S. markets at the lowest possible tariffs.

Mike Jedrzejczyk, Washington director of Asia Watch, a private human rights group, said Chinese prisoners, including those detained for political offenses, often are forced to produce goods for export at little or no pay.

He said the practice provides China with sorely needed foreign currency, but the U.S. officials said prison labor accounted for only a minuscule percentage of the country’s total exports.

Jedrzejczyk added that some prisoners have been forced to remain on the job even after their terms have expired. He said his information was based on internal Chinese government documents made available in the United States and Hong Kong.

The alleged Chinese abuses have become a popular issue among some members of Congress, who claim that prison-made exports not only violate U.S. law but also cost some American workers their jobs.

The U.S. officials said that if a Chinese import is alleged to have been made by prisoners, “detention orders” will be issued to ensure the product is seized by U.S. Customs officials.

The agreement would permit a U.S. Customs official to determine the validity of the allegation through an on-site inspection.