On the evening of March 24, China Central Television (CCTV) posted an article protesting against fashion company H&M after it announced it would not work with any garment factories in Xinjiang area and do not buy cotton produced in Xinjiang. Soon after, a wave of criticism of the Swedish fashion house spread on the Weibo platform (China’s largest social network) from celebrities and organizations such as the Chinese Youth League.
“Want to make money in China but spread false rumors and boycott Xinjiang cotton? What a fanciful thought,” Weibo Youth Union published an article with hashtag calling for a boycott of H&M.
Earlier last September, fashion retailer H&M released a statement expressing concern over reports of forced labor in Xinjiang. Inside, H&M said they were “deeply concerned by reports from civil society organizations and the media including allegations of forced labor and discrimination among religious minorities” in Xinjiang. They then stopped buying cotton from growers in this area.
H&M’s move came after many Chinese businesses were sanctioned by the US and some European countries for alleged labor exploitation, discrimination and human rights violations against the Uighurs in Xinjiang.
Immediately after the backlash of the online community, actor Hoang Hien posted a statement saying he opposed the malicious “slander and rumor” from the label and canceled his cooperation contract. Singer-actress Tong Thien also made a similar statement and canceled her cooperation with the brand.
On the evening of March 24, at least three major Chinese e-commerce platforms, Pinduoduo, Jingdong and Tmall, withdrew all H&M products from their sales pages. These actions emphasize the pressure facing foreign companies doing business in China related to political and religious issues.
Nike has similarly been called for a boycott by the Chinese online community after posting a statement on its website expressing concern “about reports of forced labor in and related to” Xinjiang. Some Chinese netizens were furious when Nike joined the regional boycott of cotton and urged celebrities to stop cooperating with the fashion company. On the evening of March 24, actor, singer and motorcycle athlete Vuong Nhat Bac announced the termination of cooperation with Nike.
Facing the increasingly widespread boycott, on the evening of March 24, H&M China posted an article on Weibo, saying that the company “Does not represent any political opinion. H&M Group always respects Chinese consumers. We are committed to long-term investment and development in China.” Meanwhile, Nike declined to comment.