BEIJING (AP) – China’s ruling Communist Party is lashing out at H&M and other clothing and shoe brands for retaliating against Western sanctions against Chinese officials accused of human rights violations in the Xinjiang region.
The attacks began when the party’s Youth League drew attention on its social media account on Wednesday to an H&M statement in March 2020 that it would stop buying cotton from Xinjiang in northwest China. The Swedish retailer, in words also used by some other brands, said he was “very concerned” about the reports of forced labor there.
On Thursday, a party newspaper, the Global Times, quoted Burberry, Adidas, Nike and New Balance as having made “cutting remarks” about Xinjiang cotton two years ago. A separate Global Times report cited what it said as a statement by Zara that it had a “zero tolerance approach to forced labor.”
Celebrities, including Wang Yibo, a popular singer and actor, announced that they were breaking endorsement deals with H&M and Nike.
Beijing often attacks foreign apparel, car, travel and other brands for actions by their governments or to pressure companies to conform to its official positions on Taiwan, Tibet and other sensitive issues.
Companies usually apologize and change websites or advertisements to maintain access to the densely populated Chinese market. But Xinjiang is an unusually delicate issue. Western brands are under pressure at home to distance themselves from potential abuse.
According to foreign researchers and governments, more than 1 million people in Xinjiang, most of whom are predominantly Muslim ethnic groups, are locked up in labor camps. Beijing denies mistreating them and says it seeks to promote economic development and eradicate radicalism.
On Monday, the 27 nations of the European Union, the United States, Great Britain and Canada jointly announced travel and financial sanctions against four senior Chinese officials blamed for abuses in Xinjiang.
Beijing retaliated by saying it would impose unspecified punishments on European lawmakers and a German investigator who published information about the detention camps.
H & M’s statement last March cited a decision by the Better Cotton Initiative, an industry group that promotes environmental and labor standards, to stop licensing Xinjiang cotton as it became “increasingly difficult” to track how it was produced. In September, H&M announced it would stop working with a Chinese manufacturer accused of using forced labor in a unit unrelated to the Swedish brand.
In January, Washington imposed an import ban on cotton from Xinjiang, a major supplier to garment manufacturers for Western markets.
China’s official outrage is aimed at Europe, possibly because relations with the EU have been relatively amicable amid resentment with Washington over trade disputes and allegations of Chinese espionage and technology theft.
The official criticism of H&M echoed that grievance when he was hurt by a friend.
“How can H&M eat Chinese rice and then break the Chinese pot?” state television said in a comment on Wednesday.
On its social media account, H&M Group said the company “does not represent any political position” and “respects Chinese consumers”.
The company said it does business with 350 Chinese manufacturers to create products that “adhere to the principles of sustainable development.” H&M said it is “committed 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’s TMall and JD.com. News reports said they had been removed due to public criticism of the Xinjiang statement. Spokespersons for Alibaba and JD did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Internet users pointed to clothing brands Uniqlo of Japan and The Gap of the United States as other possible offenders. It was unclear how many of those accounts were members of the public and how many were controlled by the ruling party’s massive propaganda apparatus.
Pop star Wang Yibo’s announcement that he was stepping down as Nike’s ‘brand ambassador’ made no mention of Xinjiang. He said he “resists vigorously all 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 announced they would be ending endorsement deals with H&M. Actress Tang Songyun said she was severing ties with Nike.
Chinese sports shoe brand ANTA announced it was withdrawing from BCI, the industrial cotton group.