"Uniqlo criticised in China after BBC report of CEO's Xinjiang comments," 29 November 2024

Casual wear giant Uniqlo is facing a storm of online criticism in China after a BBC report quoted the chief executive of its owner as saying the company does not source cotton from the far western region of Xinjiang...

The report went viral on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Friday, with several users slamming the company and some saying they would stop buying its products...

Fast Retailing did not immediately respond to a request for comment...

The issue of sourcing from Xinjiang, where rights groups and the U.S. government accuse China of abuses against the Uyghur population, has been a geopolitical minefield for foreign firms with a large presence in China.

Beijing denies any abuses in the region, the origin of the vast majority of Chinese-produced cotton...

In 2021, Uniqlo’s rival, H&M, faced a consumer boycott in China for a statement on its website that expressed concern about accusations of forced labour in Xinjiang and said it would no longer source cotton from there...