The European Union is finding support among Chinese workers for its Forced Labour Regulation ahead of trade talks with Beijing. Adopted in 2024 and due to take effect in December 2027, the regulation bans goods made with imposed or involuntary work, including excessive overtime. The issue resonates in China, where workers commonly complain about 996 culture—12-hour shifts six days a week—and where average weekly working hours exceed the legal cap. Social media posts explaining how to report labor violations to EU authorities attracted thousands of likes, shares and hundreds of thousands of views despite censorship. The debate highlights a divergence between exporters seeking overseas markets amid weak domestic demand, overcapacity and deflationary price wars, and workers seeking stronger protections. The EU has given Beijing until October to address trade imbalances, having run a deficit with China of roughly $1 billion a day last year. Analysts say access to Western markets could give workers leverage over employers, while U.S. authorities have also warned that evidence of extreme, systemic unpaid overtime can prompt supply-chain investigations.