BEIJING (AP) – China’s ruling Communist Party is attacking H&M and other clothing and footwear brands while retaliating 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 Tuesday drew attention to its social media account about an H&M statement in March 2020 that it would stop buying cotton in Xinjiang in northwest China. The Swedish retailer, in words also used by some other brands, said he was “deeply concerned” by reports of forced labor there.
On Thursday, a party newspaper, the Global Times, quoted Burberry, Adidas, Nike and New Balance as already making “comments” about Xinjiang’s cotton two years ago. A separate report from the Global Times cited what it said was a statement from Zara that it had a “zero tolerance approach to forced labor.”
Celebrities like Wang Yibo, a popular singer and actor, announced that they would break support contracts with H&M and Nike.
Beijing often attacks clothing, car, travel and other foreign brands for actions by its governments or to pressure companies to comply with their official positions on Taiwan, Tibet and other sensitive issues.
Companies often apologize and change websites or advertising to maintain access to the populous Chinese market. But Xinjiang is an unusually thorny issue. Western brands are facing pressure at home to distance themselves from possible abuses.
According to foreign researchers and governments, more than a million people in Xinjiang, most of them predominantly Muslim, have been confined to labor camps. Beijing denies mistreating them and says it is trying to promote economic development and end radicalism.
On Monday, the European Union, the United States, Britain and Canada, from 27 countries, jointly announced financial and travel sanctions on four senior Chinese officials accused of abuses in Xinjiang.
Beijing retaliated by saying it would impose unspecified sanctions on European lawmakers and a German investigator who has released information about the detention camps.
H&M’s statement last March cited the decision by the 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 it would stop working with a Chinese manufacturer that was accused of using forced labor in a unit unrelated to the Swedish brand.
In January, Washington imposed a ban on cotton imports from Xinjiang, a major supplier of garment producers to Western markets.
China’s official outrage has focused on Europe, possibly because relations with the EU were relatively friendly amid resentment with Washington over trade disputes and allegations of Chinese espionage and technology theft.
Official criticism of H&M reflected this tone of complaint for being hurt by a friend.
“How can H&M eat Chinese rice and then break the pot from China?” said state television in a comment 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 deals with 350 Chinese manufacturers to manufacture products that “meet the principles of sustainable development.” H&M said 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, TMall and JD.com, of the Alibaba group. News reports said they were withdrawn due to public criticism of their statement in Xinjiang. Alibaba and JD spokespersons did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Internet users noted that the clothing brands Uniqlo of Japan and The Gap of the United States were other possible criminals. It was not clear how many of these accounts were members of the public and how many were operated by the vast propaganda apparatus of the ruling party.
Pop star Wang Yibo’s announcement that he was no longer “brand ambassador” for Nike did not mention Xinjiang. He said he “firmly resists the words and actions that pollute China.”
Others, including singer and actress Song Qian, a member of the Korean pop group f (x) also known as Victoria Song, and actor Huang Xuan announced that they would end support contracts with H&M. Actress Tang Songyun said she was breaking ties with Nike.
Chinese sports shoe brand ANTA announced it would withdraw BCI, the cotton industrial group.