The Swedish fashion brand H&M has refused to use Xinjiang cotton because of human rights persecution in Xinjiang. Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Global Times, posted two consecutive microblogs about the incident, but was attacked by netizens at Home and abroad. The picture shows an H&M store in Beijing on March 19, 2020.
The Swedish fashion brand H&M has been attacked by the Chinese Communist Party for refusing to use Xinjiang cotton due to human rights persecution in Xinjiang. The location of the H&M store is no longer searchable by map apps such as Gaode Map and Baidu Map on the mainland. Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Global Times, posted two consecutive microblogs about the incident, triggering criticism from netizens at home and abroad.
On the morning of March 24, the Communist Youth League Central Committee posted on Weibo a statement from H&M Group last October about its refusal to use Xinjiang cotton. Subsequently, major official media outlets attacked H&M with full force, and encouraged a boycott.
H&M issued a statement on its Chinese website on the evening of the 24th, saying that the company ensures that its global suppliers comply with sustainability commitments such as the OECD Code of Responsible Business Conduct, and that it “does not represent any political position”.
However, the statement still has not let the incident cool down, Taobao, Jingdong, Tmall, Jindo, Vipshop, Suning Tesco and other major e-commerce have shelved H&M, cell phone business Vivo also shelved H&M App. the morning of March 25, Gaode map, Baidu map and other map App can no longer search the location of H&M stores.
It is reported that the Swedish fashion brand H&M is the “Good Cotton Development Association” (Better Cotton Initiative, BCI) members, Nike (Nike) (U.S. sporting goods manufacturers), Adidas (Adidas) (German sports goods manufacturers) and other international brands are BCI members. These brands have also been sniped by mainland netizens one after another.
Hu Xijin’s comments on the H&M case were blasted by netizens
As the Chinese Communist Party officially cracked down on H&M, Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Global Times, also commented on the incident on his Weibo account. He posted two consecutive Weibo posts from the evening of March 24 to the early morning of March 25, but was attacked by netizens at home and abroad.
Hu Xijin said in a posting published on the evening of March 24 that H&M was being beaten by the mainland Internet at its own peril, adding that “when it comes to political storms, global companies should behave as if they could shrink back,” but H&M was scurrying forward. It also said that H&M did not apologize in its latest statement because it was afraid of Western public opinion and so on. The posting will H&M chase some.
However, Hu Xijin posted again at nearly 3 a.m. on March 25, referring to Nike, with a big turnaround in attitude, advising official Communist Party agencies, including social media accounts with clear official agency labels, not to participate in or restrain their denunciations of the Western companies in question, but to let private opinion lead the way. It was also said that the previous statements of H&M, Nike and others about Xinjiang and the current boycott should not be defined from a political perspective, but should be openly seen as a market process, allowing the laws of the market to determine the outcome.
Obviously, Hu Xijin’s statement that Nike should not be defined from a political point of view in the early hours of the 25th contradicts his statement that the H&M incident was “a political storm” on the 24th.
For these two tweets, not only did overseas Twitter users scold him, but mainland netizens also mocked him under his Weibo postings.
“This fully proves that the direction of public opinion on China’s Internet is completely controlled by the authorities, and that Chinese netizens are the fighters of the Chinese Communist government, who are free to send and receive whatever they want.” “Hu Xijin is cunning and has been hiding in the back to let off a mouthpiece.”
“The so-called grifter is good at capturing.” “In front of the interests of the defiant, once the power to be a shrinking turtle, this is the philosophy of Hu Xijin’s lackey.”
“You (Hu Xijin) can shut up first! Also the official better not lead.” “Civilian position? The media is all under your control, you are not allowed to make different voices, and then you can only watch you incite populism. Oh, the civil position.”
“Bullshit, you, official bodies do not intervene you think the netizens will be able to resist? The Noble Boy hasn’t been around long. nike comes with a discount on a piece of real incense. Don’t bullshit, obviously not able to boycott nike, forced to find an excuse.”
There are also mainland netizens refer to this boycott wind is likely to be hit in the face. “Inciting populism useful? From the beginning of The Japanese car, to the NBA re-broadcast, have boycotted how many times, still not live well in the country, a few months or even a few days to hit the face, why bother to ask for trouble.” “CCTV took a few months to surrender to the NBA, we can guess, this Time they can persist for how long?”
“Hu Xijin don’t forget that China has such a strong economic position today, largely because of the capital technology input from the West, water can carry the boat can also overturn the boat, don’t be too wild.” “After a few days a discount, and buy the big fire, a lot of scenarios, Apple phones and other representatives ……”
Another number of netizens mocked Hu Xijin to H & M brutal, to Nike on the wonderful send goose. “Why do you say it again? You are not the official media? Just now also said H&M, now it’s Nike’s turn to go weak in the legs?” “Hu Xijin said to HM righteousness, a righteousness, a encounter with the hard point of Nike will be a second goose, bullying soft fear hard, not a thing!”
Recent Comments