Sanctions on Xinjiang cotton use opposed

Chinese public voiced outrage upon finding out that some big international retail brands, including H&M and Nike, have chosen not to source cotton from the region over "forced labor" concerns based on lies and false information.

Many Chinese celebrities announced on Thursday that they will cut ties and stop commercial operations with the brands for their decisions on Xinjiang cotton.

▲ Photo by People's Daily

Chinese consumers have responded with concrete actions

China firmly opposes any sanction imposed on individuals or entities based on the pretext of so-called human rights issues in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and companies involved should avoid politicizing business issues, a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

"The so-called forced labor in Xinjiang is nonexistent and entirely imaginary. The spotless white Xinjiang cotton brooks no slander," Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng said on Thursday at a news conference in Beijing.

With regard to the so-called business decisions made by certain foreign companies based on erroneous information, Chinese consumers have responded with concrete actions, he said.

"We hope these companies will respect the law of the market, rectify their erroneous actions and avoid politicizing business issues," Gao said.

As of Wednesday evening, H&M products had been removed from all major Chinese e-commerce platforms, including Taobao and JD.

▲ A cotton harvesting machine works in a field in Manas county, Hui autonomous prefecture of Changji, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Oct 17, 2020. Photo/Xinhua

High-quality cotton

China is the world's second-largest cotton producer, and Xinjiang is the largest cotton-producing area in the country. The region is well known for its premium, long-fiber cotton, which is popular in domestic and global markets.

Xinjiang manufactured 5.2 million metric tons of cotton during the 2020-21 season — about 87 percent of the nation's total production. More than 50 percent of farmers in Xinjiang grow cotton, and over 70 percent of these farmers are members of ethnic minority groups including Uygur, Kazak and Hui.

The region's cotton and textile industry has created jobs for more than 600,000 people, according to a statement released on Thursday by the China Cotton Association.

Accusations of "forced labor" fabricated

Since the quality of Xinjiang cotton ranks among the best in the world, the companies that choose not to use it are losing out, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily news briefing on Thursday. In addition, she said, accusations of "forced labor" in Xinjiang are fabricated by anti-China forces to contain China's development.

Although China is a key global cotton producer, it actually faces a cotton shortage. The country produced 5.95 million tons of cotton during the 2020-21 season, which ended in January, but the demand stood at about 7.8 million tons, the China Grain Reserves Group said in a statement on Wednesday.

To resolve the shortage, China needs to import about 2 million tons of cotton every year from countries including Brazil and India, it said.

▲A cotton harvesting machine works in a field in Yuli county, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Sept 23, 2020. Photo/Xinhua

记者：崔佳  赵伊梦