In a letter to British lawmakers in November, Burberry said it did not have any operations in Xinjiang or work with any suppliers based there, adding that it did not condone any form of modern slavery among its suppliers, including forced, bonded or involuntary prison labour.
In March 2021, Burberry faced a backlash in China - mainly over social and traditional media - over its membership of the Better Cotton Initiative, a group that promotes sustainable cotton production which cited human rights concerns as the reason for the suspension of its approval of Xinjiang-sourced cotton.
In May 2021, when asked about the backlash, Burberry’s CEO Julie Brown said that Burberry continued to have "very good relations" with partner Tencent Holdings Ltd, and declined to comment on more recent sales in China. “There’s nothing more I can helpfully say on this topic,” she said.
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This report provides critical insight into how forced labour-made apparel is moving from the Uyghur Region into high-street and high-end brands operating and selling within the EU.
The chief operating officer of Burberry said the British luxury brand was pleased with its performance in mainland China when asked about any backlash to Western accusations of abuses in Xinjiang.
Last week, calls for the cancellation of H&M and other Western brands went out across Chinese social media as human rights campaigns collided with cotton sourcing and political gamesmanship. Here's what you need to know about what's going on and how it may affect everything from your T-shirts to your trench coats.
Burberry has lost a Chinese brand ambassador and its hallmark tartan design was scrubbed from a popular video game, becoming the first luxury brand assailed by the Chinese backlash to Western accusations of abuses in Xinjiang.
The number of fashion brands caught in the crossfires of a heavy political storm in China over Xinjiang cotton is ballooning quickly. Foreign firms that have previously stated their concerns about cotton imports from the region are having their goods dragged down from online marketplaces in China because of it.