Recently resurfaced statements from Nike and H&M voicing concern over reports of forced labor in the Chinese region of Xinjiang has some in China calling for boycotts, ABC News reports.
China accounts for 22% of the global cotton supply, and over 80% of Chinese cotton comes from Xinjiang, where it is the largest export. U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced earlier this year that all cotton products made in Xinjiang will be detained. CBP and human rights experts estimate that anywhere from 1 million to 3 million ethnic minorities in the region, including Uyghurs and Kazakhs, are being kept in “internment camps,” according to former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in the Xinjiang region, where detainees are reportedly forced to work for no pay in factories located nearby.
H&M and Nike’s statements reportedly resurfaced recently after the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union issued a joint condemnation of China’s treatment of Uyghurs and placed sanctions on government officials in the Xinjiang region. ABC notes that by this Thursday, Chinese pop star Wang Yibo had canceled his relationship with Nike and actor Huang Xuan ended his relationship with H&M, saying that he “firmly opposed any attempt to discredit the country.”
Chinese shopping websites T-mall, JD.com and Punduoduo no longer show results for H&M when the term is searched, and the mall Wuika Times Square, which is located in the capital of Urumqi, has reportedly ordered the H&M outlet located there to stay shut until the company “makes a solemn apology to the people of Xinjiang.”
ABC also notes that some Chinese nationalists known as xiaofenhong, or “Little Pinks,” have started to create memes about the situation saying, “I support Xinjiang cotton” and “The Chinese market mighty, but will not welcome those with malicious intentions.”
H&M China said in a statement on Wednesday that it “does not represent any political position. H&M Group purchases more sustainable cotton through a globally certified third party. The purpose is to support cotton farmers around the world to adopt more sustainable methods to grow cotton. H&M Group does not purchase cotton directly from any supplier. H&M Group respects Chinese consumers as always. We are committed to long-term investment and development in China.”
Chinese companies like the sportswear brand Anta have capitalized on the controversy, issuing statements expressing their intent to continue using cotton from the Xinjiang region and to leave the Better Cotton Initiative.
“We have noticed the BCI’s statement. We are deeply concerned about the matter and is starting the process to exit the organization,” Anta said in a statement on the Chinese social media site Weibo. “As a company that is devoted to environment protection, Anta became a member of the BCI. The purpose of our cooperation was to promote the sustainable development of global cotton farming and supply for cotton farmers and environment protection.”
The company added, “We have been purchasing and using cotton produced from China, including Xinjiang region, and we will continue to purchase and use cotton from China.”
Source: Newmax
