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China criticizes Western brands' toys, clothes as unsafe
Read full article: China criticizes Western brands' toys, clothes as unsafeThe Chinese government has accused H&M, Nike, Zara and other brands of importing unsafe or poor quality children’s clothes and other goods, adding to headaches for foreign companies after Beijing attacked them over complaints about possible forced labor in the country’s northwest.
Business group warns China boycotts spooking investors
Read full article: Business group warns China boycotts spooking investorsAn American business group has warned that government-instigated consumer boycotts of foreign shoe, clothing and other brands in China are making companies less willing to invest.
China says H&M changed online map after criticism
Read full article: China says H&M changed online map after criticismChinese regulators say H&M has agreed to change a “problematic map” online following government criticism, adding to pressure on the Swedish retailer amid a conflict with Western governments over China's policies in its Xinjiang region.
China pressures brands to reject reports of Xinjiang abuses
Read full article: China pressures brands to reject reports of Xinjiang abusesChina stepped up pressure Monday on foreign shoe and clothing brands to reject reports of abuses in Xinjiang, telling companies that are targeted by Beijing for boycotts to look more closely and pointing to a statement by one that it found no forced labor. H&M, Nike, Adidas and other brands are caught in a conflict over Xinjiang after Western governments imposed sanctions on officials accused of abuses. State media called for a boycott of H&M for saying it would no longer use cotton from Xinjiang and are criticizing other brands for expressing concern about reports of forced labor. Official media have criticized Nike, Adidas, Uniqlo and Burberry for expressing concern about reports of forced labor in Xinjiang. Most comply because China is one of the biggest, fastest-growing markets for global fashion, electronics and other consumer brands.
China sanctions US, Canadian officials over Xinjiang
Read full article: China sanctions US, Canadian officials over Xinjiang(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)BEIJING – China announced new sanctions against U.S. and Canadian officials in a growing political and economic feud over its policies in the traditionally Muslim region of Xinjiang. The commission's vice chair, Tony Perkins, was also included on the sanctions list, along with Canadian Member of Parliament Michael Chong and the body’s Subcommittee on International Human Rights. China announced sanctions Friday against British officials and H&M products were dropped from Chinese websites over their opposition to buying cotton from Xinjiang. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the sanctions “baseless" retaliation for U.S. measures against Chinese officials. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said China’s decision to sanction an opposition Conservative lawmaker as well as a parliamentary subcommittee is an attack on freedom of speech regarding human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
China erasing H&M from internet amid Xinjiang backlash
Read full article: China erasing H&M from internet amid Xinjiang backlashH&M disappeared from the internet in China as the government raised pressure on shoe and clothing brands and announced sanctions Friday against British officials in a spiraling fight over complaints of abuses in the Xinjiang region. State media accused H&M and other brands of improperly profiting from China while criticizing it. South Korean athletic shoe brand FILA said Friday the company buys cotton from Xinjiang and will keep doing so. AdH&M's announcement last year that it no longer would use Xinjiang cotton cited the BCI's move to stop licensing cotton from the region because it was difficult to trace how it was produced. It was unclear why the party targeted H&M, whose expression of concern about Xinjiang was similar to that of other companies.
Here's what foreign brands have to say about Xinjiang
Read full article: Here's what foreign brands have to say about XinjiangThe companies, under pressure from activists, have tried to distance themselves from reports of forced labor in China's Xinjiang region. It also said it conducted an inquiry at its factories to make sure they were not using any forced labor from Xinjiang. AdNIKEThe sportswear brand says on its website that it was “concerned about reports of forced labor” connected to Xinjiang. No UNIQLO product is manufactured in the Xinjiang region.” The company also said that no Uniqlo production partners subcontract to fabric mills or spinning mills in the region. Adidas said it found no cases of forced labor on farms participating in that initiative.
China attacks foreign clothing, shoe brands over Xinjiang
Read full article: China attacks foreign clothing, shoe brands over XinjiangAdBeijing often attacks foreign clothing, auto, travel and other brands for actions by their governments or to pressure companies to conform to its official positions on Taiwan, Tibet and other sensitive issues. Western brands face pressure at home to distance themselves from possible abuses. AdThe Global Times said Burberry, Adidas, Nike and New Balance also made “cutting remarks” about Xinjiang cotton. In January, Washington imposed a ban on imports of cotton from Xinjiang, a major supplier to clothing producers for Western markets. Comments on the internet cited clothing brands Uniqlo of Japan and The Gap of the United States as other possible offenders.
German privacy watchdog fines H&M $41M for spying on workers
Read full article: German privacy watchdog fines H&M $41M for spying on workers(AP) – A German privacy watchdog said Thursday that it is fining clothing retailer H&M 35.3 million euros ($41 million) after the company was found to have spied on some of its employees in Germany. Hamburg’s data protection commissioner said in a statement that the Swedish company collected private information about employees at a customer service center in Nuremberg, “ranging from rather harmless details to family issues and religious beliefs.”The information was recorded on a network drive accessible to up to 50 managers and “used, among other things, to obtain a detailed profile of employees for measures and decisions regarding their employment.”The data protection commissioner, Johannes Caspar, said that “the combination of collecting details about their private lives and the recording of their activities led to a particularly intensive encroachment on employees’ civil rights.”The privacy violation was discovered after the data briefly became visible to all people on the company network, resulting in news reports about the information gathering. H&M said in a statement that the practices in Nuremberg didn't correspond to company guidelines but that it nevertheless took full responsibility and had apologized unreservedly to the employees. The company said it would examine the fine issued. Casper welcomed H&M’s decision to pay compensation to employees at the Nuremberg service center and take measures to prevent future privacy breaches, saying the steps "show the intention to give the employees the respect and appreciation they deserve as dependent workers in their daily work for their company.”