Soon after giving out a statement on forced labour in Xinjiang, Swedish fashion retailer H&M wasforced to close 20 stores in China.Recently, several companies including H&M and Nike are facing pressure after they said that theywere concerned about allegations that forced labour has been used to produce cotton in Xinjiang.The ruling Communist Party lashed out at H&M, Nike and other shoe and clothing brands last weekafter the United States, the European Union, Britain and Canada imposed travel and financialsanctions on officials accused of abuses in Xinjiang in China’s northwest.H&M has shut down about 20 of its 500 outlets in the communist country. Some of the closuresmight have been the result of Chinese landlords forcing out the shops, while local consumers vowedto boycott the brand.According to media reports, Chinese media had called for Chinese boycotts of Swedish multinationalretailer H&M, sports apparel powerhouses Nike and Adidas; New Balance; Burberry and othermembers of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) that have voiced concerns or pledged not to use supplychain components produced in Xinjiang.H&M, the world’s second-largest clothing retailer, has been pulled from major e-commerce stores inChina and blocked by several major navigation, review and rating apps.Dozens of Chinese celebrities also terminated contracts or said they would cut ties with thesebrands, including Nike, Adidas, Puma, Converse, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Uniqlo — a movelauded by state media.
Tags: China, Xinjiang, forced labour, H&M, Nike