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BEIJING (AP) – At least three Chinese celebrities recalled German fashion house Hugo Boss, the latest foreign brand caught in a boycott by Chinese consumers over Western allegations of forced labor in Xinjiang, on Saturday (March 27).
Among the celebrities who ended their pacts with Hugo Boss was the actor and singer Li Yifeng, who said in a statement through his agent on the Twitter-like Weibo microblog that he would only cooperate with brands that specifically support and purchase cotton from the Far west region of China. .
Activists and UN rights experts have accused China of using mass arrests, torture, forced labor and sterilizations of Uighurs in Xinjiang. China denies these claims and says its actions in the region are necessary to counter extremism.
LEE: The United States accuses China of a campaign in social networks ‘directed by the state’ against companies in Xinjiang
Hugo Boss, in a post on his Weibo account on Thursday, said that he will “continue to buy and support Xinjiang cotton.” But it said on Friday that it was not an authorized post and that it had been removed accordingly.
A woman walks past a store of the German fashion house Hugo Boss in Beijing, China, on March 27, 2021. REUTERS / Thomas Peter
In an email sent to Reuters on Friday, company spokeswoman Carolin Westermann said that an undated statement in English on her website said that “so far, HUGO BOSS has not purchased any products originating from the region of Xinjiang of direct suppliers “was his official position.
On Saturday, the brand’s Weibo account released a new statement saying it appreciated all the long-lasting relationships with partners in China.
Hugo Boss China did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
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Chinese Internet users have accused Hugo Boss of backtracking on his position, saying the brand had “two faces”, with some vowing to boycott the brand forever.
“A two-faced person is the most disgusting thing. I will boycott you forever,” said one Weibo user.
The United States on Friday condemned what it called a “state-led” social media campaign in China against the United States and other international companies for deciding not to use cotton from China’s Xinjiang region over forced labor concerns.
China’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
READ: After H&M, Nike feels the heat of Chinese social media over Xinjiang
New Balance, Under Armor, Tommy Hilfiger and Nike-owned Converse are among the companies that have come under fire in China for statements that they would not use cotton produced in the far west region of China due to suspected forced labor.
The United States and other Western countries have imposed sanctions on Chinese officials for human rights abuses in Xinjiang, which the United States has said amount to genocide.
“Several companies are beginning to give in to threats from China by removing their forced labor policies from their websites, and even going so far as to promote” Xinjiang
The cotton “on their websites, which is reportedly contaminated with Uighur forced labor,” the World Uyghur Congress said in a statement.
“This is the ultimate moral test for these companies: choose to respect human rights or embolden the genocidal regime of the Chinese Communist Party,” said the largest group representing the exiled Uighur ethnic group.
