WASHINGTON – The United States yesterday condemned a “boycott” campaign by Beijing against foreign brands that have declined to use cotton grown in China’s Xinjiang region due to reports of rights abuses there.
“The US condemns the PRC… (for its) social media campaign, and corporate and consumer boycott against companies, including American, European and Japanese businesses,” said State Department deputy spokesman Jalina Porter, referring to the People’s Republic of China.
At least a million Uighurs and people from other mostly Muslim groups have been held in camps in northwestern Xinjiang, according to rights groups, which accused authorities of forcibly sterilising women and imposing forced labour.
“We commend and stand with companies that adhere to US laws, and ensure products we’re consuming are not made with forced labour,” said Porter.
A number of clothing companies, such as Sweden’s H&M, US sportswear giant Nike, Germany’s Adidas and Japan’s Uniqlo, last year pledged to boycott cotton from Xinjiang.
The old statements resurfaced this week on Chinese-owned social network Weibo, triggering the controversy.
Several Chinese celebrities and tech firms have subsequently pulled partnerships with many of the brands, from Nike and H&M to Burberry and Calvin Klein, with Beijing seen as fuelling the social media war. – AFP, March 27, 2021
