A Japanese retailer is facing a boycott in China after comments about where it sources its cotton. The global fashion chain Uniqlo is owned by Fast Retailing. The chief executive, Tadashi Yanai, told the BBC they don’t get cotton from China’s Xinjiang region.
“We’re not using cotton from Xinjiang,” Yanai said. “By mentioning which cotton we’re using … actually, it gets too political if I say anymore so let’s stop here.”
Critics in China latched onto the comment and urged a boycott of the brand.
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Outside of China, using Xinjiang cotton is controversial after advocacy groups and the U.S. government accused the region of using Uyghur Muslims for forced labor production.
Beijing has repeatedly denied the allegation.
China’s response
China’s Foreign Ministry called on other companies to reject political pressure, saying each business should independently make decisions that impact its own interests.
People on the Chinese social media platform Weibo are amplifying those calls to boycott Uniqlo, a daunting threat for any company reliant on the huge customer base China provides.
“With this kind of attitude from Uniqlo and their founder being so arrogant … they’re probably betting that mainland consumers will forget about it in a few days and continue to buy,” One person posted. “So can we stand firm this time?”
Labor allegations against China
In 2018, the U.S. State Department estimated that up to 2 million Uyghurs and members of other Muslim minority groups were detained in camps in the Xinjiang region.
The Chinese government denies any forced labor, insisting they are vocational training schools.
However, the BBC reported online documents uncovered evidence that upwards of half a million minority workers a year are picking cotton under forced conditions.
Worldwide impact
The issue is a big one for retailers worldwide. In 2021, China wiped H&M from e-commerce stores nationwide after the company decided to stop using cotton from Xinjiang.
And in September 2024, China’s Commerce Ministry launched an investigation into the parent company of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, saying they suspected the company was “unjustly boycotting” Xinjiang cotton and other products “without factual basis.”
According to Uniqlo’s website, the company has more than 900 stores in mainland China.
Fast Retailing has yet to comment on the backlash from its executive’s comments.
