GUANGZHOU -- An online seminar was held Sunday on the employment of workers from Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Held by Jinan University, based in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, the seminar was participated by over 50 experts and students from various universities in China.

Livable natural environment, higher pay, and access to high-quality education are among the main reasons for workers from Xinjiang to seek job opportunities outside of the region, said Chen Ning, a visiting research fellow at Jinan University.

She added that labor rights, freedom of religious belief, and the right to use of their own languages are fully protected for migrant workers from Xinjiang.

There is no so-called issue of "forced labor" in Xinjiang's cotton industry, as it has a high degree of mechanization and follows high labor standards, said Li Hua, another researcher with Jinan University.

Li pointed out that Xinjiang-related sanctions imposed by the United States have raised the transaction costs in all links of the industry chain, making US importers and consumers the main payers of the increased costs.

Wang Sha, a researcher at Southwest University of Political Science and Law, said that the rights of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, including employment, labor rights and gender equality, are fully protected.

Wang said that the educational level and employment intention of women of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang have continuously improved, which is conducive to their realization of individual value.