What looks like the Peruvian Nazca lines from above are actually tons of red chilies under the sun of the Gobi Desert. The farmers in Hami/Xinjiang lay out the pods to dry after harvesting, which in autumn temperatures of around 35 degrees gives them a clear competitive advantage over less warm regions of the world, where the chilies have to be dried using additional energy. Production costs are correspondingly lower, and China’s share of the global chili market is accordingly high at around 20 percent. However, the concern that Uyghurs help with the harvest is not entirely unjustified, as they either do not do so voluntarily or only for meager wages. Agriculture in Xinjiang is one of China’s high-risk industries.