BEIJING (AP) – China’s ruling Communist Party is attacking H&M and other clothing and footwear brands, while retaliating against Western sanctions on Chinese officials accused of human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region.
The attacks began when the party’s Youth League on Wednesday drew attention on its social media account to the March 2020 H&M statement that it would stop buying cotton from Xinjiang, in northwest China. The Swedish retailer, in words used by other brands, said he was “deeply concerned” by reports of forced labor there.
On Thursday, a party newspaper, Global Times, quoted Burberry, Adidas, Nike and New Balance as making “remarks” about Xinjiang cotton two years ago. A separate report from the Global Times quoted Zara as saying it had a “zero tolerance approach to forced labor”.
Celebrities, including Wang Yibo, a popular singer and actor, have announced that they are violating the approval contracts with H&M and Nike.
Beijing often attacks foreign clothing, car, travel and other brands for their government actions or to put pressure on companies to comply with its official positions on Taiwan, Tibet and other sensitive issues.
Companies usually apologize and exchange websites or advertisements to maintain access to China’s populous market. But Xinjiang is an unusually thorny issue. Western brands are facing pressure at home to distance themselves from possible abuses.
More than 1 million people in Xinjiang, mostly from predominantly Muslim ethnic groups, have been imprisoned in labor camps, according to researchers and foreign governments. Beijing denies abusing them and says it is trying to promote economic development and eliminate radicalism.
On Monday, the 27-nation European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada jointly announced travel and financial sanctions for four senior Chinese officials blamed for abuses in Xinjiang.
Beijing has responded by saying it will impose unspecified sanctions on European lawmakers and a German researcher who has published information about detention camps.
The H&M statement in March last year cited a decision by the Better Cotton Initiative, an industry group that promotes environmental and labor standards, to stop licensing cotton in Xinjiang because it was “increasingly difficult” to track how which was produced. In September, H&M announced that it would stop working with a Chinese manufacturer that was accused of using forced labor in a unit unrelated to the Swedish brand.
In January, Washington imposed a ban on imports of cotton from Xinjiang, a major supplier of clothing to Western markets.
China’s official outrage has focused on Europe, probably because relations with the EU have been relatively amicable amid resentment with Washington over trade disputes and allegations of Chinese espionage and technology theft.
H & M’s official criticism reflected that tone of dissatisfaction because he was hurt by a friend.
“How can H&M eat Chinese rice and then break China’s pot?” State television said in a comment Wednesday.
On its social media account, H&M Group stated that the company “does not represent any political point of view” and “respects Chinese consumers”.
The company said it employs 350 Chinese producers to produce products that “respect the principles of sustainable development.” H&M said it is “dedicated to long-term investment and development in China.”
On Thursday, H&M products were missing from China’s two most popular online retailers, Alibaba Group TMall and JD.com. News reports said they were removed because of public criticism of his statement in Xinjiang. Spokesmen for Alibaba and JD did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Internet users have identified Japanese clothing brands Uniqlo and The Gap of the United States as other possible offenders. It was not clear how many of these accounts were members of the public and how many were operated by the ruling party’s vast propaganda apparatus.
Pop star Wang Yibo’s announcement that he was stepping down as Nike’s “brand ambassador” did not mention Xinjiang. He said he “strongly resists any words and actions that pollute China.”
Others, including singer and actress Song Qian, a former member of the Korean pop group f (x), also known as Victoria Song, and actor Huang Xuan have announced that they will conclude support contracts with H&M. Actress Tang Songyun said she is breaking ties with Nike.
Chinese sports shoe brand ANTA has announced that it is withdrawing from BCI, the cotton industry group.