BEIJING (Reuters) – Burberry has lost a Chinese brand ambassador and its tartan design has been removed from a popular video game, becoming the first luxury brand attacked by the Chinese reaction to Western accusations of abuse in Xinjiang.
China sanctioned organizations and individuals in the UK on Friday for what it called “lies and misinformation” about Xinjiang, days after Britain imposed sanctions for alleged human rights abuses in the western Chinese region.
Burberry is a member of the Better Cotton Initiative, a group that promotes sustainable cotton production, which said in October that it was suspending its approval of cotton from Xinjiang, citing human rights concerns.
Award-winning Chinese actress Zhou Dongyu ended her contract with Burberry as a brand ambassador, as Burberry has not “clearly and publicly stated her position on Xinjiang cotton,” her agency said on Thursday.
The company’s iconic checkered design has also been removed from the clothing worn by the characters in the popular video game “Honor of Kings” from Tencent Holdings Ltd, according to a post on the official game account on Weibo, receiving praise from Chinese Internet users.
Burberry China did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. Burberry cotton comes from the United States, Australia, Turkey, India and Egypt, according to its website.
The reaction – particularly on social and traditional media – also involved mass-market brands like H&M, Adidas AG and Nike Inc, who previously expressed critical opinions about working conditions in Xinjiang, China’s largest cotton-producing region.
UN activists and rights experts have accused China of using mass detention, torture, forced labor and sterilization in Uighurs in Xinjiang. China denies these claims and says its actions in the region are necessary to contain extremism.
In a letter to British lawmakers in November, Burberry said it had no operations in Xinjiang or work with any suppliers based there, adding that it did not tolerate any form of modern slavery among its suppliers, including forced, slave or involuntary prison labor.
The National Council for Textiles and Clothing of China in a statement on Friday urged international brands to cease “wrong behavior”, including excluding Xinjiang cotton from its supply chain, out of respect for Chinese customers.
Hong Kong lawmaker Regina Ip said she would stop buying Burberry.
“Burberry is one of my favorite brands. But I will stop buying Burberry products. I support my country by boycotting companies that spread lies about Xinjiang, ”wrote Ip on his Twitter account.
Ryan Woo reporting and Beijing newsroom; Editing by Edwina Gibbs