Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Cotton produced in China's Xinjiang region is among the best in the world. We hope that relevant companies can eliminate political pressure and negative interference, and make independent business decisions that align with their own interests, Mao Ning, a spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry said on Friday in response to a question regarding a BBC's report in which the boss of the company behind global fashion chain Uniqlo said the company does not use Xinjiang cotton.

A screenshot of BBC's interview of Tadashi Yanai, chief executive of Fast Retailing, the parent company behind the global fashion chain Uniqlo.

Speaking to the BBC in Tokyo about the firm's measures to be more transparent about where the materials in its clothes come from and how they are made, Tadashi Yanai, chief executive of Fast Retailing, the parent company behind the global fashion chain Uniqlo, said: "We're not using [cotton from Xinjiang]," BBC reported on Thursday.

"By mentioning which cotton we're using..." he continued, before pausing and ending his answer with "Actually, it gets too political if I say anymore so let's stop here," according to the report.

In a separate report with Nikkei Asia recently, Yanai said production in China remains important for the fashion retailer.

"We, Fast Retailing, have grown together with the Chinese textile industry," said Yanai, Nikkei Asia reported on Monday.

As of October, Uniqlo has 927 stores in the Chinese mainland, according to the company's website.

In 2022, Yanai chose not to confirm Uniqlo's cotton sourcing from Xinjiang, stating that he aimed to maintain neutrality between China and the US. He said that the US approach seemed to compel companies to declare their loyalties, asserting that "Uniqlo won't play that game," the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Global Times