A few days ago, clothing brand H&M came under heavy fire in the Chinese Communist Party for an old statement against Xinjiang cotton. Since then, public opinion has continued to fester, with a series of international brands such as Nike (Nike), Adidas (Adidas), and others involved in the controversy. Dozens of Chinese, Taiwanese and Hong Kong artists have announced the termination of their cooperation with these brands. And the UK’s Burberry (Burberry) seems to have become the first luxury brand to be boycotted by China.
Comprehensive international media reported on March 27 that Burberry joined the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) in 2015. The organization said last October that it had suspended cotton licensing in the Xinjiang region due to concerns about forced labor and human rights abuses.
Many Chinese netizens took to Weibo to express their support for Xinjiang cotton, saying “Xinjiang cotton is pure and white and cannot be discredited. Many others said that the BCI had “slandered” Xinjiang cotton and would resolutely boycott brands such as Burberry, which had joined the organization.
Some netizens commented on Burberry’s official Weibo account, asking it to “get out of the Chinese market”, while others criticized the brand for “engaging in politics” instead of making clothes properly.
Burberry also said it would not tolerate any form of modern slavery, including forced labor, among its suppliers.
Some international human rights organizations say at least one million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities are held in internment camps in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. In the camps, they are allegedly subjected to human rights violations such as torture, forced sterilization, sexual abuse, political indoctrination, and forced labor.
The U.S. Congressional and Executive Commission on China (CECC) revealed in a study last year that forced labor in the form of “re-Education camps” is widespread in Xinjiang, with cotton, garment fabrics, shoes and other commodities being the most affected areas.
The China Cotton Textile Association issued a statement Friday expressing “great regret, disappointment and dissatisfaction” with some international brands for excluding Xinjiang cotton and cotton products from their business activities “based on lies and false information.
According to Deutsche Welle on March 27, as several international clothing brands are involved in the Xinjiang cotton controversy, German brand Hugo Boss said on its official Weibo account that it would continue to purchase and support Xinjiang cotton. However, in a statement sent to Deutsche Welle, the company said it was “committed to respecting human rights” and “has not purchased any products directly from Xinjiang to date.
Hugo Boss’ statement on Weibo at this Time that it would “continue to purchase and support cotton from Xinjiang” was quickly praised by the Chinese side. Chinese official media Global Network also reported the relevant news, “Hugo Boss, FILA China take a stand: continue to purchase cotton from Xinjiang”. It is mentioned that FILA China has “started the procedure to withdraw from BCI and continue to purchase Xinjiang long-staple cotton”. Underneath Hugo Boss’ related Weibo, almost all of them are comments of “support Xinjiang cotton” and “support companies that respect China”.
As of now, Hugo Boss is still a member of BCI (Better Cotton Initiative).
It is also reported that Amazon, a leading US e-commerce platform, is suspected to have taken down many cotton products from China.
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