H&M’s latest statement on Xinjiang cotton is very careful not to mention Xinjiang

China’s consumer boycotts of foreign brands over Xinjiang cotton are presenting major global companies such as H&M, Zara owner Inditex, and Nike with some unpalatable options to choose from—further annoy a major supplier and consumer market, or appear not to care greatly about human rights. Some are attempting to mollify Beijing by deleting old statements voicing concern about the alleged use of forced labor in the region, where researchers estimate as many as 1 million ethnics Uyghurs have experienced internment in detention camps since at least 2017. Others are telling different stories to different audiences, possibly in the hope that no one notices. H&M is trying a tack so carefully middle of the road that it’s hard to know quite what it’s saying.