People shop at a retail store of Uniqlo in east China's Shanghai, Aug. 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

China on Friday called on relevant company to reject political pressure and make independent business decisions based on its interests following a BBC report in which Tadashi Yanai, chairman and president of Fast Retailing, the parent company of Japanese fast fashion giant Uniqlo, said the company does not use Xinjiang cotton.

"Cotton from the Xinjiang region is among the best in the world. We hope relevant company will overcome political pressure and malign disruption, and independently make business decisions that serve its own interests," Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, made the remarks at a regular press briefing on Friday in response to a question regarding the report.

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, Yanai 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.

Despite in the report Yanai also said the company has more stores in China than in its home country Japan, he does not plan to change that strategy and may increase stores in China to 3000, the BBC report highlighted its remarks on Xinjiang cotton with an eye-catching headline "Uniqlo does not use Xinjiang cotton, boss says."  

Yanai's remarks regarding Xinjiang cotton have sparked controversy in China, with the hashtag "Uniqlo founder said not using cotton from Xinjiang" briefly trending as the second most searched topic on Sina Weibo on Friday. As of press time, the topic had garnered over 81 million views. 

Many netizens expressed disappointment over Yanai's remarks, with some even saying that they will not buy its clothes. However, there are also some netizens who pointed out the BBC's malicious intentions, and called on others to remain rational.

The Global Times on Friday reached out to Uniqlo for comment, but as of press time, no response has been received. Uniqlo has long sought to avoid being drawn into political controversies and becoming a target. However, the BBC interview seemingly lured the CEO into choosing sides between China and the US, and deliberately made "Uniqlo does not use Xinjiang cotton" as the headline in its report. It is not surprising to see Yanai's remarks trigger a backlash against the brand among some Chinese consumers, Xiang Haoyu, a research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Friday. 

Xiang said that the company has worked to balance the demands of the Chinese market with local public sentiment, while also facing pressure from the West. It is used to taking a cautious, non-committal stance, steering clear of definitive statements to avoid controversy.

Fast Retailing will continue to invest in China and "China's importance has not changed," Yanai said, emphasizing China's irreplaceable role in the company's supply chain, Nikkei reported in early November.

Moving production out of China would be unfeasible. It's not easy to build large-scale factories quickly, as there is a history of attempts that has failed and it is impossible to easily replicate the model of Chinese factories, he said.

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

Pushed to choose sides

The so-called "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act," which took effect in June 2022, prohibits the entry of Xinjiang goods into the US market in the name of combating "forced labor". The sanctioned companies involve industries such as textiles and clothing, and silicon-based solar products.

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.

Uniqlo is not the only multinational company pressured into taking sides in recent years, as the US and some other Western countries amplify Xinjiang-related issues under the guise of human rights concerns and alleged forced labor with the aim of excluding Xinjiang cotton from the global supply chain and containing China, Wang Jiang, an expert at the Institute of China's Borderland Studies at Zhejiang Normal University, told the Global Times on Friday. 

Economic issues should not be politicized. Western media and politicians are sensationalizing Xinjiang-related topics to exert pressure on multinational companies, putting these businesses in a challenging position. When some companies are forced to make statements that prompt disappointment or even boycotts in China, some Western media often resort to labeling Chinese consumers as nationalistic, while inflating claims about a worsening business environment in the country, said Wang. 

Xiang also noted that instead of focusing on multinational companies that have been pushed into a corner, more blame should be assigned to certain Western media outlets and politicians with bad intentions. Multinationals that have operations in China are themselves symbols of international cooperation. However, some Western media are setting traps for China and international cooperation, using them as tools to worsen China-West relations and as an excuse to undermine China.

This approach is akin to setting a preordained rhetorical trap, or rather, a form of moral judgment. Once Xinjiang cotton is mentioned, it's as if a guilty label is affixed to the company. This is a morally improper accusation, and the premise itself is inherently malicious, said Xiang.

China values its cooperation with multinational companies, including Uniqlo, and such mutually beneficial business relationships must be preserved. However, while we appreciate this cooperation, these companies should also demonstrate basic integrity and rational judgment, recognizing that the issues related to Xinjiang and Xinjiang cotton are not political in nature, said Xiang. 

The Western accusations against China regarding Xinjiang-related topics are entirely groundless and misleading. When addressing these issues, multinationals should also take a clear stance and exercise sound judgment, rather than being swayed and coerced by the West's false claims, said Xiang.