H&M conflict escalates in Asia – E24

The state-controlled media in China launched a campaign against H&M and several other top companies earlier this spring. There, the Chinese were called upon to boycott the companies. The background to this is the criticism brought by the institutions against the Muslim genocide in China uigurMinorities in the Xinjiang region.

Among other things, H&M reportedly refused to buy cotton from Xinjiang because the company could not confirm that the cotton had not been harvested by forced labor.

In connection with H&M’s latest quarterly report, Clothing Chain wrote that they are doing everything they can to handle the “ongoing challenges” and the way forward.

– We are committed to regaining the trust of customers, colleagues and business partners in China, writes H&M Update.

Several media outlets have now reported that the conflict has taken on a new dimension.

The boundaries of the South China Sea must be changed

H&M headquarters in Shanghai has reportedly been invited to the carpet by the city’s cyber security administration The Wall Street Journal.

The reason is said to be a map on the website of the Swedish clothing chain, which Chinese officials considered “complicated”.

It is not clear which map this represents, but the media South China Morning Post Indicates boundaries drawn in the South China Sea. Here, China, Vietnam, the Philippines and other countries compete where the borders are.

China insists it lays the groundwork for its “dotted line” boundaries, albeit somewhat rejected International law.

Meets strong reactions

H&M will still have a good role to play in changing the website Department of Internet Security Administration in Shanghai.

– Stupid H&M, how do you look! Hong Cha and Trung Cha are from Vietnam. Leave our country, writes a Twitter user South China Morning Post. User uses the Vietnamese names of the islands known as Spratly and Paracel Islands in the Norwegian language.

– The islands belong to Vietnam under international law. Another writes that H&M is now violating international law across Asia Today’s industry.

H&M has only 12 stores in Vietnam, but 250 stores in China.