An old H&M statement over forced labor in Xinjiang has caused a storm on Chinese social media, with users calling for a boycott of the Swedish clothing chain.

The statement was published over a year ago, but it came under the spotlight again on Wednesday, after Britain, Canada, the European Union and the United States announced joint sanctions this week on senior Chinese officials involved in human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

In that statement, H&M had expressed deep concern about accusations of forced labor in Xinjiang and denied sourcing materials from the remote Chinese region.

The company was raked over the coals following the sanctions announcement. The Communist Youth League said in a Weibo post that it was “wishful thinking” for the fashion firm to “spread rumors” while wanting to make money in the country.

Chinese actor and singer Victoria Song, who previously partnered with H&M to launch a collection, said she had terminated all cooperation with the chain. Huang Xuan, also an actor, said he had ended his contract as a brand representative.

Other Weibo users called for the company to quit the Chinese market. One said the company’s clothes were of a bad quality and not worth buying. Another said H&M was hypocritical in claiming that it supported human rights in Xinjiang and yet deciding not to buy products from the region, which would “wreck the local economy.”

In a new statement posted on H&M’s Weibo account on Wednesday night, the company said it had been following international guidelines on sustainability and was not expressing any political stance. It respected Chinese consumers and was committed to providing Chinese and international shoppers with sustainable clothing, the post read.

The company’s attempt to defuse the situation appeared to have achieved little effect. In comments left on the post, netizens continued their calls for H&M to get out of China.

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