Chinese brands vouch for Xinjiang cotton as foreign retailers sidelined in nationalistic fervor

蘋果日報 2021/03/26 16:12


Mainland Chinese consumers who are steering clear of Nike and Adidas have the option of buying from domestic companies that are swimming with the tide of nationalistic sentiment against foreign wares.
More than 30 made-in-China labels have so far professed support for cotton produced in Xinjiang, mainland media reports show as global retailers are slapped with a wave of boycotts for rejecting Xinjiang cotton on concerns of forced labor.
The Chinese companies include sports apparel brands Li Ning, Anta Sports, 361 Degrees and Xtep; men’s wear Septwolves; and underwear labels 3Gun and Cosmo Lady.
Anta Sports on Wednesday announced on its official Weibo account that it had been using and would continue to use cotton produced in Xinjiang.
The following day, Anta Sports subsidiary Fila China said that it had kick-started a process to quit the Better Cotton Initiative, an advocacy group for sustainably grown and responsibly harvested cotton.
Amid the public outcry, Hugo Boss of Germany would say only that it had respected the “one China” policy for years and would defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, in an announcement on the company’s Weibo page.
The furore began early this week when a year-old statement from Swedish fast-fashion player H&M, voicing concerns about forced labor in Xinjiang, resurfaced on social media platforms in China.
Global brands Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Zara and Under Armor, which previously made similar statements, were also targeted as Chinese internet users called for a boycott.
Shoppers can instead avail themselves of the copycat versions “H&N,” “Nkie,” “Abibas,” “New Barlun,” “Zare” and “Uncle Martian,” according to an online Hong Kong media outlet that has compiled a list of such “brands.”
They can also consider a Western brand that has been more diplomatic than its competitors in the Chinese market.
Skechers, an American footwear company, has denied any involvement by its factories in forced labor in Xinjiang. The statement, issued in March, was uploaded by a Chinese internet user. Netizens applauded the shoe company for stating facts and said that they believed it could reap more rewards in China.
Click here for Chinese version
---------------------------------
Apple Daily’s all-new English Edition is now available on the mobile app: bit.ly/2yMMfQE
To download the latest version,
Or search Appledaily in App Store or Google Play