H&M slammed in China over Xinjiang stance on forced labor

HONG KONG – The world’s largest clothing brand, H&M of Hennes & Mauritz AB, is under attack in China, one of its largest markets, over its stance on forced labor in the remote cotton-growing region of Xinjiang.

Chinese state media and social media users excoriated the fast-moving Swedish fashion giant in an outburst of anger on Wednesday, accusing the company of spreading rumors and sullying China over a statement it made last year on forced labor in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, China.

Searches for H&M’s name on China’s largest e-commerce platforms were blocked on Wednesday, as netizens took to Weibo in China, like Twitter, to call for a boycott of the company, which operates more than 400 stores. in China. Two of the fashion company’s Chinese brand ambassadors have also announced that they are cutting ties with H&M over what has been called its bashing of China.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Pinduoduo Inc. and JD.com Inc., which operate the e-commerce sites blocking H&M, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“Spreading rumors to boycott Xinjiang cotton while trying to make money in China?” Wishful thinking! ”Wrote the Chinese Communist Youth League in a Weibo article that was transmitted nearly 30,000 times and elicited around 10,000 comments.