H&M, Nike and other major fashion retail of brands facing boycotts in China. This allegedly happened because of their statement of stance against the alleged use of forced labor to produce cotton in Xinjiang.
Earlier, H&M and Nike said months ago that they were concerned about allegations of forced labor being used to produce cotton in Xinjiang. Now Chinese social media is excited about the fashion company’s claims.
Reporting from CNN, Friday (26/3/2021), calls for a product boycott occurred in China. In fact, H&M, Nike, and Adidas products were pulled from e-commerce stores in China. Local celebrities have reportedly cut ties with these brands.
H&M Vs. the Chinese Communist Party
The call for a boycott came after a group linked to the Chinese Communist Party posted a statement from H&M about Xinjiang on the Chinese social media site Weibo. It also states that western countries have announced sanctions against Chinese officials with allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
In a viral social media post about H&M, the Chinese Communist Youth League slammed the company’s stance. They say H&M and others are spreading rumors to boycott Xinjiang’s cotton.
“They are spreading rumors of boycotting Xinjiang’s cotton, while trying to make a fortune in wishful China,” the group wrote.
This sparked a flood of criticism aimed at H&M from Chinese social media users, including a viral hashtag that was read more than 1 billion times reading ‘I support Xinjiang cotton.’
Strong comments also arose from Chinese netizens supporting statements issued by the Chinese Communist Youth League. “The H&M outfit is ragged rags,” said one of the most beloved Weibo comments.
“They don’t deserve our Xinjiang cotton,” said another.
H&M Gives Statement
In a statement posted Wednesday evening on Weibo, H&M responded to the boycott call by saying that it has always maintained high standards, as well as transparency, in its global supply chain.
“We do not represent any political position. The H&M Group has always respected Chinese consumers. We are committed to long-term investment and development in China,” the statement said.
While the issue of Xinjiang has been widely raised by human rights groups, they accuse Beijing of holding Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang in re-education camps. China is also said to make Muslim minorities into forced labor.
The Chinese government itself calls the camps a vocational training center designed to fight poverty and religious extremism.
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