China attacks foreign fashion companies in response to sanctions for human rights violations

The Communist Party, which rules China, has criticized H&M and other clothing and footwear brands in its response to Western sanctions against Chinese officials accused of human rights abuses. in the northwestern region of Xinjjiang.

The party’s Youth League drew attention on social media on Wednesday to a statement by H&M from March 2020, in which the company announced it would stop buying cotton grown in Xinjiang. The Swedish company said it was “very concerned” by reports of forced labor in the region.

Thursday, a festive newspaper, the Global TimesHe pointed to Burberry, Adidas, Nike and New Balance as companies that have made “tough statements” on Xinjiang cotton over the past two years.. Celebrities like Wang Yibo, a popular singer and actor, have announced that they will break their endorsement deals with H&M and Nike.

Beijing often targets foreign fashion, auto, travel and other brands for actions against its government or to pressure companies to respect its official positions on Taiwan, Tibet and other sensitive issues.

Companies often apologize and modify their websites or advertisements to maintain access to the huge Chinese market. But Xinjiang is a particularly thorny issue. Western brands feel the pressure at home to distance themselves from potential rights violations.

More than a million people in Xinjiang, the majority of predominantly Muslim ethnic groups, have been confined to labor camps, according to foreign governments and researchers. Beijing denies being mistreated and says it wants to promote economic development and end radicalism.

The European Union, the United States, Britain and Canada announced financial sanctions on Monday and the displacement of four senior Chinese officials accused of abuses in Xinjiang.

Beijing responded by announcing undetermined sanctions against European lawmakers and German researchers who published information against the detention camps.

H&M’s press release last March cited a decision by the Better Cotton Initiative, an industrial group promoting environmental and labor standards, to stop certifying Xinjiang cotton because it was “more and more difficult” to trace how it was produced.

H&M announced in September that it would stop working with a Chinese manufacturer accused of using forced labor in a division unrelated to the Swedish company.

In January, Washington vetoed a ban on cotton imports from Xinjiang, a major supplier of clothing to Western markets.

China’s official outrage focused on Europe, possibly because relations with the EU were relatively cordial, compared to the acrimony with Washington over trade disputes and charges against China for espionage and theft of technology.

On its social media, the H&M Group said the company “does not represent any political position” and “respects Chinese consumers.”

The company said it was working with 350 Chinese manufacturers to produce items that “adhere to the principles of sustainable development.” and that it is “committed to long-term investment and development in China.”

As of Thursday, there were no H&M products at Alibaba Group’s two largest internet retailers, JD.com and TMall. According to media reports, they withdrew due to public criticism of their statement in Xinjiang. Spokesmen for Alibaba and JD did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

With AP information

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