STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – The Chinese authorities have asked H&M to change a map on its website during the latest clash between the clothing giant and the official bodies there, the media reported Friday.
The Sweden-based company has faced a backlash in China in recent days after raising concerns about alleged human rights violations in Xinjiang province last year.
ABC News reported that the Shanghai city government had asked H&M to correct a “problematic map of China.”
H&M did not immediately respond to phone calls or an email request for comment.
Citing a statement from the Shanghai government, ABC said internet users have reported the problem to the management of H & M’s website and that the Shanghai Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Office has ordered that the problem be changed.
The Wall Street Journal quoted the Shanghai branch of the Cyberspace Administration of China as saying that H & M’s website operator had taken steps to address the problem.
Last week, H&M said it would work to regain confidence in China after a statement it made in 2020 about buying cotton surfaced there on social media.
In the statement, the world’s second-largest fashion retailer expressed concern about the allegations of forced labor in Xinjiang province and said it would no longer source cotton there.
Reporting by Simon Johnson; edited by Barbara Lewis