Boycott Movement Against China Spreads to Hugo Boss... Xinjiang Uyghur Becomes a 'Human Rights Battlefield'

US and EU impose sanctions, China launches boycott... Escalating conflict between China and the West
Forced labor concerns raised for items beyond cotton, including viscose
CSIS states "Forced labor may have occurred across a wide range of sectors"

A view of a Uyghur detention center in the Xinjiang region of China [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Since allegations of forced labor involving the Uyghur ethnic group in China's Xinjiang region surfaced, the impact of the forced labor issue has intensified, with boycott movements by Chinese consumers spreading against foreign clothing brands such as H&M and Hugo Boss that criticized the situation. International pressure is mounting to investigate the extent to which forced labor of Uyghurs is involved in Xinjiang's industries, heightening tensions surrounding the region.

According to Bloomberg News on the 28th (local time), the boycott movement by Chinese consumers against foreign clothing brands like H&M, Nike, and recently Hugo Boss is rapidly expanding. On that day, famous Chinese celebrities, including singer Li Yifeng, who has over 60 million followers on China's social networking service Weibo, announced the termination of their advertising contracts with Hugo Boss. Following this, numerous Chinese netizens expressed solidarity, further spreading the boycott against Hugo Boss, Bloomberg reported.

This boycott against Hugo Boss by Chinese consumers stems from the company's recent statement that it "will not tolerate forced labor issues" and will completely cease importing clothing raw materials such as cotton produced in Xinjiang. Chinese consumers criticized this as interference in China's internal affairs and as spreading unverified forced labor allegations, prompting the boycott movement.

Previously, revelations emerged that Uyghur residents in Xinjiang were mobilized for forced labor in cotton production. In response, on the 22nd, the United States implemented measures to freeze assets and restrict visas of Chinese officials linked to forced labor in Xinjiang. On the same day, the EU also sanctioned four Chinese officials and one organization for their responsibility in the oppression and human rights abuses against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

Additionally, well-known foreign clothing brands such as Nike and H&M announced plans not to purchase cotton produced in Xinjiang. Subsequently, some Chinese individuals shared posts on social media showing the burning of these companies' products, indicating that the boycott movement is spreading across foreign brands.

"Chinese Paramilitary Organization Involved in Uyghur Forced Labor... Viscose Also Under Suspicion"

Given that not only cotton but also various clothing raw materials, agricultural products, and electronic devices are produced in Xinjiang, there is a possibility that the known forced labor issues involving Uyghurs are more widespread than previously understood.

According to a report published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in July last year, as of 2019, exports of clothing raw materials such as cotton accounted for 25.4% of total export value, the highest proportion among all items. Additionally, footwear and electronic devices accounted for 10.2% and 9.1%, respectively.

In particular, viscose, another form of cotton fabric, also constitutes a significant portion of Xinjiang's exports, raising claims that forced labor allegations involving Uyghurs cannot be ruled out for this product as well.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), viscose produced in Xinjiang currently accounts for up to 18% of global production. SCMP reported, "Most viscose production factories in Xinjiang are located within a few kilometers of Uyghur detention centers," and "especially since the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) leads viscose production in the region, the viscose industry cannot be free from Uyghur forced labor issues."

The XPCC is a paramilitary organization linked to the Chinese Communist Party and was sanctioned by the United States last year for human rights abuses against Uyghurs. This organization is directly and indirectly connected to Xinjiang's industries, and according to the CSIS report, as of 2017, it accounted for 37% of the total industrial output in Xinjiang. CSIS also reported that XPCC currently operates a total of 36 forced labor factories in the region.

SCMP cited a source saying, "The impact of sanctions on cotton production companies in Xinjiang is expected to extend to the viscose industry," adding, "Xinjiang's viscose industry will also find it difficult to evade international scrutiny."

CSIS: "China's Large Share in Global Supply Chains Makes Resolving Forced Labor Issues More Difficult"

However, it remains difficult to confirm whether all exports from Xinjiang are linked to forced labor involving Uyghurs. Given the Chinese government's strict control over access and surveillance by outsiders, verifying the connection between specific industries and Uyghur forced labor is challenging. CSIS stated, "(The presence of Uyghur forced labor in specific export products) must be understood in context," adding, "Because tracking supply chains in Xinjiang's industries is difficult, it is possible that forced labor involving Uyghurs is occurring in a much broader range of sectors than currently known."

Due to the difficulty in estimating the scale of Uyghur forced labor in Xinjiang and the close integration of the region's industries with global supply chains, there are concerns that finding solutions to the forced labor problem will not be easy. For cotton, Xinjiang's production accounted for over 20% of global output as of 2019.

CSIS emphasized, "Given China's significant share in global supply chains, it will be difficult to filter out products made through Uyghur forced labor in Xinjiang," and "Therefore, global companies and the international community must unite to proactively address the proportion of Uyghur forced labor in global supply chains."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.