Uyghurs: Xinjiang cotton ban is self-defeating, China tells H&M

Uyghurs: Xinjiang cotton ban is self-defeating, China tells H&M

H&M and other western brands are facing a backlash in China after they expressed concern about the alleged use of forced labour in cotton production.

China has been accused of forcing members of the mostly Muslim Uyghur minority to pick cotton in Xinjiang.

China denies this and, in recent days, critical brands have faced boycotts.

“I don’t think a company should politicise its economic behaviour,” said Xu Guixiang, a Xinjiang government spokesman, at a news conference on Monday. “Can H&M continue to make money in the Chinese market? Not anymore.”

Mr Xu said the decision by some brands to stop buying Xinjiang cotton was “not reasonable”, comparing it to “lifting a stone to drop it on one’s own feet”.

H&M has not yet responded to a request for comment from the BBC.

The Chinese spokesman’s remarks cast doubt on the Swedish company’s future in one of the world’s largest markets.

They also indicate Chinese government support for the recent Chinese consumer boycott of products from H&M and other global retailers.

China’s boycott initially targeted Nike and H&M, with reports of the latter’s products withdrawn from major e-commerce platforms and some of its stores being shuttered across the country.

But the boycott has widened to include Burberry, Adidas and Converse, among others.

The cotton row erupted after the US and other western governments ramped up pressure on China over alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

China is accused of committing serious human rights violations against Uyghurs in the region.

In December the BBC published an investigation based on new research showing China was forcing hundreds of thousands of minorities including Uyghurs into manual labour in Xinjiang’s cotton fields.

Last week several western countries – including the UK, US, Canada and European Union members – imposed sanctions on officials in China over the situation in Xinjiang.

China has repeatedly denied the allegations of abuse and has hit back with retaliatory sanctions on European officials.