Last week, Chinese netizens, guided and orchestrated by official media, launched a boycott of products from well-known Swedish brand H&M and American sports brands Nike and Adidas. Some so-called patriotic netizens got emotional and chanted protest slogans outside H&M and other branches. Even Hong Kong and Taiwanese artists were involved in the boycott and were forced to take a stand as well as cancel their endorsement contracts for these brands. The official media accused some foreign brands of “eating China’s rice and smashing China’s pot” and said “Chinese netizens are angry”, which triggered a strong reaction from the international community.
Beijing-based current affairs commentator Zhao Gang said in an interview with Radio Free Asia on Monday that the authorities were concerned that the netizens’ actions had turned anti-government and were calming the situation: “The other day we saw netizens and celebrities in the entertainment industry coming out to abuse and boycott international brands like H&M and Nike, and so on, with a supposedly unfriendly attitude toward Xinjiang cotton. In the past few days, we have seen a dramatic reversal. Chinese consumers are lining up to buy H&M and Nike products, especially when these products are new or discounted.”
[Where’s the promised boycott?]
One of the brands that Chinese netizens had threatened to boycott, Nike, has been snapped up in many stores across the country due to price cuts.
The brand has been threatened by Chinese netizens to boycott one of the brands, Nike, which has been on sale in many stores across the country.
The Chinese official media launched a boycott of foreign goods last week, and one of the brands that Chinese netizens had threatened to boycott, Nike, has set off a rush to its stores in many parts of the country due to a price reduction sale.
Some netizens were disgusted, leaving messages to rebuke the snappers, “I knew they were just this virtuous” and “they’ve been kneeling for a long Time and can’t stand up”. Others said, “That’s the reality, Nike understands the Chinese consumer’s psychology” pic.twitter.com/zH2vL5nlZo
- Radio Free Asia (@RFA_Chinese) March 29, 2021
Real public opinion is often obscured by official manipulation
Last Friday, the Jingdong shopping site opened for people to make reservations, and by 9 p.m., more than 346,000 people had made reservations to buy the 699 yuan NIKE women’s shoes, which sold out within a minute of opening. The next day, H&M 30% off the entire site, the goods were snapped up.
Zhao Gang said: “This phenomenon is the real public opinion. And the netizens’ verbal attacks on these international brands seem to be unanimous and unanimous, but we must see that these online statements, as well as media opinion, are actually manipulated by the authorities.”
Last Saturday and this Sunday, even Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Global Times, who has always taken a tough stance, commented on the matter on Weibo one after another, initially joining the war with the wind, but softening his attitude in recent postings, even calling for “not to block them” and “to be tolerant “The first time the company was in the middle of the war, it was a very good idea.
Hu Xijin’s posting, in which he suggested that China’s official institutions, including social media accounts with clear official labels, should generally refrain from, or refrain from, participating in denunciations of the Western companies in question, and called on Chinese Communist Party officials to avoid becoming the leaders of the public opinion war, was met with thunderous criticism from netizens. At the same time, H&M China branch launched clothing 30% discount, Nike shoes online booking by customers crazy rush, and even out of stock.
National pride and patriotic enthusiasm are unbearable in front of interests
The Chinese society is far worse than in the past, and it can be described as a river that is falling: “A modern state or modern nation that has not established universal values and equality for all people is not a concept. The people of this country have only one thing of value in their eyes, and that is profit. Another interest is that you just need to sell goods cheaply, the so-called national pride and patriotic fervor in front of the interest is unbearable.”
Chinese merchants at Amazon were notified. Middle photo: Boycotted foreign goods are seeing a rush in mainland China. Right: Amazon’s notice to merchants asking for proof that their products have nothing to do with Xinjiang cotton. (Web Photo)
Just as the Communist Party’s official media appealed to the public to call on the people to cool down, the sanctions overseas still did not stop. According to the “Global Times” reported that a mainland Chinese netizen broke the news that Amazon, a well-known U.S. e-commerce platform is likely to take many cotton products from mainland China off the shelves, because according to the U.S. government regulations, any cotton products exported to the United States can not contain cotton from Xinjiang, otherwise it is likely to be detained.
Online rumors of U.S. e-commerce Amazon to join the ranks of sanctions
Online circulation of a suspected document sent to mainland Chinese exporters for Amazon, Amazon said that because 85% of cotton in mainland China are from the Xinjiang region, so a guest asked mainland Chinese merchants must provide such proof, otherwise cotton products from mainland China is likely to be detained by U.S. Customs until the merchant can prove that the cotton is not from Xinjiang.
Current affairs commentator Chen Broken Sky said in his personal channel: “Now Amazon began to take action to take down these products or brands related to Xinjiang cotton fabrics, his way of taking down is quietly carried out, including Chinese companies and companies in various countries received a notice from Amazon, saying they must provide proof to prove that their goods do not contain Xinjiang cotton. “
Mainland China’s annual cotton production of about six million tons, of which more than eighty percent used to manufacture cotton fabrics, Amazon’s move will seriously affect the sales of cotton in Xinjiang, the annual amount of cotton exports from mainland China to the United States 500 billion yuan, of which about two hundred billion yuan of cotton fabrics using Xinjiang cotton. This will make China’s textile industry has been hit hard, but also affect the ability of mainland China’s exports to generate foreign exchange. Some analysts believe that this is one of the reasons why the Communist Party’s official media rushed to cool down the protests against famous foreign brands.
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