Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
State Department
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday that the State Department has downgraded China to the lowest possible ranking in this year's human trafficking report in part because "it has not taken serious steps to end its complicity in trafficking," and also because it has allowed forced labor to continue in North Korea.
Tillerson also stressed that human trafficking can present a national security threat, and explained how North Korea (another of world's worst offenders) uses profits from human trafficking to fund its nuclear and missile weapons program.
Other changes in the 2017 report, per AP:
- Myanmar: The State Dept. has taken Myanmar off the list of the world's worst human trafficking offenders.
- Myanmar and Iraq: Both countries were removed from the list of nations that use child soldiers.
- Afghanistan was recognized for its efforts to curb human trafficking, while Iraq was seen as making "insufficient progress."