Chinese boycott against Nike and Adidas over Xinjiang cotton appears to be losing steam
- The two international sportswear brands remained visible on major e-commerce sites and a special Nike offer sold out quickly
- Celebrities have cut ties with firms that expressed concern about forced labour, but the country’s national soccer team has not followed suit
A Chinese consumer boycott against international brands such as Nike and Adidas appeared to be losing steam over the weekend.
But sports teams remained largely silent over their deals with the companies and their products remained on sale online – with demand remaining high.
China’s state media, internet users and tech companies kicked off a wave of protest targeting international fashion brands including H&M and Burberry last week after the Chinese Youth League published a statement on its official Weibo account on Wednesday attacking H&M’s previous statements over Xinjiang cotton.
Corporate statements released months ago – expressing the businesses’ concerns over Xinjiang’s forced labour risks and saying they did not source cotton from Xinjiang – were dug up and translated into Chinese, fanning calls for a nationwide boycott.
Swedish retailer H&M was one of the hardest-hit brands with its name being removed from Chinese e-commerce and other retail apps while its stores in a number of cities, including Urumqi and Jinan, were closed.