A cotton harvesting machine works in a field in Manas County, Hui Autonomous Prefecture of Changji, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Photo:Xinhua

The Xinjiang Cotton Association issued a statement on Thursday in firm defense of the region's cotton industry, and said it firmly refuses to accept claims in response to remarks made by Tadashi Yanai, CEO of Fast Retailing, the parent company of global fashion brand Uniqlo, in an interview with the BBC on November 28, in which he said his company is not using cotton from Xinjiang. 

The association emphasized that Xinjiang cotton is one of the best in the world and strongly opposes the US using the so-called "forced labor" claims and other baseless reasons to discredit and boycott Xinjiang cotton and its products.   

In the statement issued on Thursday, the association said Xinjiang's unique climate and geographical advantages provide ideal conditions for cotton growth. It is an essential raw material for China's textile industry and serves as a bridge connecting eastern and Western markets. Xinjiang cotton is recognized for its high quality and people in Xinjiang are hardworking and honest. 

Xinjiang cotton not only provides a large amount of high-quality textile raw materials for China and the world, but also helps promote the development of the local economy and offers employment opportunities for residents. Many families in Xinjiang have thus been able to move out of poverty toward prosperity, it said, adding that under the Belt and Road Initiative, Xinjiang cotton, known for its excellent quality, has become an important commodity connecting the world. 

However, the US has used the pretext of "human rights" to frequently discredit Xinjiang cotton, attempting to deprive people from all ethnic groups in Xinjiang of their right to improve their lives through hard work and employment. The association firmly rejects this, it said. 

The cotton industry in Xinjiang has undergone significant transformation, evolving from traditional cotton planting methods to modern techniques. The industry is now focused on centralization, greening and intelligent development. The level of mechanization and automation has continuously improved, with digital technologies widely applied. The mechanization rate of planting has reached 100 percent, and the machine-harvesting rate is about 90 percent. The cotton industry has become a key driver of income growth and wealth creation for the people in Xinjiang, the association said. 

The association called on the international community and textile companies to rationally analyze and respond to all anti-Xinjiang statements and actions based on the principles of respecting the facts. 

We hope that international brands such as Uniqlo will fully respect and trust Xinjiang cotton and restore their use of it to support the healthy and stable development of the global cotton and textile industry, the association said. 

During the BBC interview, Yanai was asked about what cotton Uniqlo uses.

"By mentioning which cotton we're using..." Yanai said, before pausing and ending his answer with "Actually, it gets too political if I say anymore so let's stop here," the BBC reported. 

Although 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 the number of stores in China to 3,000, 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 sparked controversy in China with many netizens expressing disappointment over Yanai's remarks. 

In response to the report, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, said at a regular press briefing on November 29 that "Cotton from the Xinjiang region is among the best in the world. We hope [the] relevant company will overcome political pressure and malign disruption, and independently make business decisions that serve its own interests."