Nike sees social press storm in China over Xinjiang statement
25 March, 2021
Anger with Nike Inc erupted on Chinese community media late on Wednesday (Mar 24) after China's netizens spotted a good statement from the sporting goods giant saying it was "concerned" about reviews of forced labour in Xinjiang and that it generally does not use natural cotton from the region.
Issues around the Nike affirmation were among the highest trending on China's Twitter-like social media Weibo on Thursday, and the sociable media storm had wider fallout.
Popular Chinese actor Wang Yibo terminated his contract as a representative for Nike in response to sociable media criticism above its Xinjiang statement, his agency stated in a statement about Weibo on Thursday.
It had been unclear when Nike had released its statement, which didn't have a date on it, and Nike had not been immediately designed for comment.
"We are worried about reports of pressured labour in, and linked to, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Place (XUAR)," Nike explained in the statement.
"Nike will not source products from the XUAR and we've confirmed with this contract suppliers they are not working with textiles or perhaps spun yarn from the spot."
It comes after the European Union, USA, Britain and Canada in Monday imposed sanctions in Chinese officials for alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang. China retaliated with sanctions on European lawmakers and organizations.
At least one Chinese online store seemed to drop H&M's goods amid social media attacks on Wednesday on the Swedish organization for saying it had been "deeply concerned" about information of forced labour in the farwestern region of Xinjiang.
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