Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin Photo: fmprc.gov.cn

The US' naked political coercion to force multinationals to take sides and show loyalty to the country goes against market rules and business ethics, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, commenting on Japanese clothes brand Uniqlo founder Tadashi Yanai's statement about his company's stance to remain neutral between China and the US. 

In an interview with Nikkei Asian Review, Yanai said that his company had attempted to remain neutral between China and the US and declined to comment on whether his company uses cotton from Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. 

The US coerced the company to show loyalty and it would not participate in such a game, Yanai said. 

In response to media question on commenting on this issue, Wang said on Thursday's press briefing that the US has repeatedly used Xinjiang-related issues to spread rumors to create trouble, which in essence is an attempt to hinder China's development and undermine the prosperity and stability of the Xinjiang region. 

It is naked political coercion to force multinationals to take sides and show their loyalty to the US, Wang said, noting the practice totally goes against market rules and business ethics and will not only undermine the US' own interests and national credibility, but also undermine the stability of global industrial and supply chains and disrupt the international trade order. 

China believes that more and more enterprises can distinguish right from wrong, get rid of the interference of political pressure and make business decisions independently, Wang said. 

Global Times