How a Chinese Surveillance Broker Became Oracle's "Partner of the Year"
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There’s a good chance your cotton T-shirt was made with Uyghur slave labor
China is by many measures now the world’s largest economy, and in the wake of this boycott, major global apparel companies including Inditex and PVH have removed policies against forced labor from their websites. So far these companies are in the minority, but they own global brands such as Zara, Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein. As long as there is a market for goods sourced from the Uyghur region, the Chinese government will be emboldened to keep operating the mass detention camps where Uyghur people are being held in indentured servitude.
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.
Why Chinese shoppers are boycotting H&M, Nike, and other major retailers
Chinese consumers, e-commerce sites, and social media platforms are boycotting prominent international retailers, such as H&M, Nike, and Uniqlo, in the wake of sanctions against the Chinese government, backed by the United States, the European Union, Britain, and Canada.
Huawei removes Nike and Adidas from its app store amid Xinjiang cotton controversy
Chinese telecommunication giant Huawei Technologies Co has suspended downloads of sportswear brands Nike and Adidas from its app store amid a public uproar in China over their position on the alleged use of forced labour by Xinjiang cotton producers.
China steps up pressure on brands to reject reports of Uyghur abuses
H&M, Nike, Adidas and other brands are caught in a spiraling conflict over allegations of forced labor in the production of cotton in China's Xinjiang region.
What Is Going On With China, Cotton and All of These Clothing Brands?
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.
Hugo Boss Under Fire From Chinese Stars Over Xinjiang Pledge
Hugo Boss AG came under fire from Chinese celebrities over its stance on human rights in China, ensnaring the company in a growing boycott of western firms who won’t use cotton produced in the region of Xinjiang over concerns it’s made with forced labor by Muslim-minority Uyghurs.
Burberry becomes first luxury brand to suffer Chinese backlash over Xinjiang
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.
Hugo Boss, Asics will continue buying Xinjiang cotton
Several international clothing brands, including Hugo Boss and Asics, have vowed to continue buying Xinjiang cotton after reports of alleged human rights abused led West countries to impose sanctions on China. “Xinjiang’s long-stapled cotton is one of the best in the world. We believe top quality raw materials will definitely show its value,” German luxury fashion house Hugo Boss said in a statement posted on its official Weibo account on Thursday night.
How brands are responding to China’s Xinjiang boycotts: deleting past statements or all-out flip-flops
Some of the world’s largest apparel companies are facing an unprecedented reckoning in China as state media outlets and social media campaigns call for consumer boycotts in protest of the brands previously saying they were concerned about reports that China uses forced labor to produce cotton in its Xinjiang province. Now, some companies are deleting those statements or telling different stories about their products depending on whether the audience is Western or Chinese.
Xinjiang Cotton: Li Ning, Anta Shares Surge While Nike, Adidas, Burberry Hit With Backlash
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.
China Retaliates Against Clothing Brands After Western Sanctions
The clothing brand H&M has come under a sudden, intense storm of criticism in China over a statement it made more than half a year ago, where it distanced itself from cotton sourced from China's Xinjiang region.
Inditex accused of turning a blind eye amid rising tensions in China boycott crisis
On Thursday, China, backed by the Chinese government itself, started retaliating against the Western boycott of cotton produced in the ‘Uyghur labor camps’ of Xinjiang, calling for its own boycott against international fashion companies. The boycott primarily affected Swedish retail giant H&M on Thursday, but is now also being launched against the parent companies of Nike, Adidas and Uniqlo, which decided to stop using cotton sourced in Xinjiang in their apparel, in light of the recent accusations of human rights violations by the Chinese authorities.
Nike, Adidas join brands feeling Chinese social media heat over Xinjiang
Nike and Adidas came under attack on Chinese social media on Thursday over past comments the fashion brands have made about labour conditions in Xinjiang, part of a diplomatic row between China and the West.
Here’s what foreign brands have to say about Xinjiang
Nike. The Gap. Uniqlo. Major clothing and footwear brands are under attack in China after Europe, the U.S. and other countries sanctioned Chinese officials this week over alleged human rights abuses. The companies, under pressure from activists, have tried to distance themselves from reports of forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region. Such statements have drawn attacks from state media and others.
Chinese social-media users burn their Nikes after the company says it's 'concerned' about forced labor of Uyghurs in Xinjiang
Chinese fans are up in arms after Nike said it would not use cotton from China's disputed Xinjiang region, and some are burning their prized kicks. The sports company faced a massive backlash and boycott on the Chinese social-media platform Weibo after it released a statement highlighting reports of forced labor of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Die, H&M, die:' brand grapples with Chinese boycott and social media firestorm over Xinjiang 'forced labor' comments
Swedish fast-fashion retailer H&M is facing boycotts by Chinese online e-commerce platforms and customers alike after a statement on its "concerns" regarding the use of "forced labor" to produce Xinjiang cotton resurfaced this week.
Under pressure in China, Zara deleted a statement about Xinjiang
Until yesterday, Zara’s parent company, Inditex, had a statement on its website stating the company’s zero-tolerance policy for forced labor and that it did not have relationships with any factories in Xinjiang. As of this writing, Inditex’s statement has been removed.