The manufacture and selling of torture tools in Chinese factories is booming, according to a report by Amnesty International and the Omega Research Foundation.
Manufacture of items including electric shock guns, spiked metal batons and leg and neck shackles are increasing, with 130 Chinese companies engaged in the production and trade of potentially dangerous law enforcement equipment.
This is compared with only 28 companies just a decade ago, with the report raising concern over the continued production of spiked batons, weighted leg cuffs, thumb cuffs and neck combination cuffs.
Amnesty said China was the only country known to manufacture spiked batons, which it said were “specifically designed as implements of torture”.
The report also states most of the companies operating in the sector are state owned, with open promotion of products encouraged at international trade shows.
China is increasing its global trade in regions such as Africa and Asia, regions where Amnesty International claims it is fuelling human rights abuses.
Chinese made electric shock batons are exported to countries including Ghana, Senegal and Egypt to be used by police forces.
But China has hit back by questioning the validity of the Amnesty International report.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told CNN: “I think you should not ask this question to the foreign ministry. We have no knowledge of it, but I would like to remind you that the organization you mentioned has always had strong bias against China. So I think it’s questionable about whether the report is real.”
