Three celebrities in China have renounced their contracts with German fashion house Hugo Boss. Hugo Boss is one of the many Western brands that received a steady stream of protests by Chinese Netizen. Over allegations of worker exploitation in Xinjiang.
According Reuters on Sunday (28/3/2021), actor-singer Li Yifeng is among celebrities who ended their contracts with Hugo Boss. Previously he stated his disdain via the Twitter-like microblogging app Weibo. The actor stated that he would only work with brands that specifically support and buy cotton from western China.
UN rights activists and experts accuse China of using mass detention, torture, forced labor and sterilization against Uighurs in Xinjiang. However China denies these claims and says its actions in the region are necessary to counter extremism.
Hugo Boss Continues to Support Xinjiang Cotton
Hugo Boss, in a post on his Weibo account on Thursday, said he would “continue to buy and support Xinjiang cotton”. But on Friday they changed it to a non-official post and removed it.
Company spokeswoman, Carolin Westermann, said in an official statement on her website that “So far, Hugo Boss has not purchased any goods originating from the Xinjiang region from direct suppliers”.
On Saturday, Hugo Boss’ Weibo account issued a new statement saying that they value all long-term relationships with partners in China.
Chinese internet users demand Hugo Boss to resign from his position. Also they accused the brand as a “two-faced”, with some vowing to boycott the brand permanently.
“Two-faced people are the most disgusting. I will boycott you forever,” said one Weibo user.
The United States has condemned protests in China against the decision by international brands not to use cotton from Xinjiang over the issue of forced labor as a state-driven campaign.
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