BEIJING (AP) – The Communist Party of China is attacking H&M and other clothing and footwear brands in retaliation for Western sanctions against Chinese officials accused of human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region.
The attacks began when the party’s Youth League on Wednesday drew attention on its social media account to a statement by H&M in March 2020 that it would stop buying cotton from Xinjiang in northwest China. The Swedish retailer, in words also used by some other brands, said he was “deeply concerned” about reports of forced labor there.
On Thursday, a party newspaper, the Global Times, quoted Burberry, Adidas, Nike and New Balance as having made “sharp comments” about Xinjiang cotton two years ago. Another report from the Global Times cited what it said was a statement by Zara that it had a “zero-tolerance approach to forced labor”.
Celebrities like Wang Yibo, a popular singer and actor, announced that they were breaking sponsorship contracts with H&M and Nike.
Beijing frequently attacks clothing, automobiles, travel and other foreign brands for actions by its governments or to pressure companies to conform to their official positions on Taiwan, Tibet and other sensitive issues.
Companies often apologize and change websites or ads to maintain access to China’s populous market. But Xinjiang is an extraordinarily thorny issue. Western brands face internal pressure to distance themselves from possible abuse.
More than 1 million people in Xinjiang, mostly from predominantly Muslim ethnic groups, have been confined to labor camps, according to researchers and foreign governments. Beijing denies having abused them and says it is trying to promote economic development and eradicate radicalism.
On Monday, the 27 countries of the European Union, the United States, Britain and Canada jointly announced travel and financial sanctions to four senior Chinese officials accused of abuses in Xinjiang.
Beijing retaliated by saying it would impose unspecified penalties against European lawmakers and a German researcher who published information about the detention camps.
H&M’s statement last March cited a decision by Better Cotton Initiative, an industry group that promotes environmental and labor standards, to stop licensing Xinjiang cotton because it was “increasingly difficult” to track how it was produced. In September, H&M announced that it would stop working with a Chinese manufacturer who was accused of using forced labor in a unit not related to the Swedish brand.
In January, Washington imposed a ban on cotton imports from Xinjiang, a major supplier to clothing producers for Western markets.
China’s official outrage has focused on Europe, possibly because relations with the EU were relatively friendly amid a grudge against Washington over trade disputes and accusations of Chinese espionage and technology theft.
Official criticism of H&M reflected the tone of complaint about being hurt by a friend.
“How can H&M eat Chinese rice and then break the pot in China?” state television said in a comment on Wednesday.
In its social media account, H&M Group said the company “does not represent any political point of view” and “respects Chinese consumers”.
The company said it is negotiating with 350 Chinese manufacturers to make products that “comply with the principles of sustainable development”. H&M said that “it is committed to long-term investment and development in China”.
On Thursday, H&M products were missing from China’s two most popular online retailers, Alibaba Group’s TMall and JD.com. News reports said they were removed due to public criticism of Xinjiang’s statement. Spokesmen for Alibaba and JD did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Internet users have pointed to clothing brands Uniqlo, from Japan, and The Gap, from the United States, as other possible offenders. It was not clear how many of these accounts were members of the public and how many were operated by the ruling party’s vast propaganda apparatus.
Popstar Wang Yibo’s announcement that he was stepping down as Nike’s “brand ambassador” did not mention Xinjiang. He said he “firmly resists any words and actions that pollute China”.
Others, including singer and actress Song Qian, a former member of Korean pop group f (x) who is also known as Victoria Song, and actor Huang Xuan announced that they would end sponsorship contracts with H&M. Actress Tang Songyun said she was breaking ties with Nike.
Chinese sports shoe brand ANTA announced it was leaving BCI, the cotton industry group.