By Ryan Woo
BEIJING, March 26 (Reuters) – Burberry has lost a Chinese brand ambassador and its iconic tartan design was ripped from a popular video game, becoming the first luxury brand under Chinese backing to Western allegations of abuse in Xinjiang.
China on Friday cracked down on groups and individuals in the United Kingdom over what they called “lies and disinfection” about Xinjiang, days after Britain imposed sanctions for human rights abuses in an area western China.
Burberry is a member of the Better Cotton Initiative, an organization that promotes sustainable cotton production that in October said it was suspending the licensing of cotton sourced from Xinjiang, citing human rights concerns.
Award-winning Chinese actress Zhou Dongyu has ended her contract with Burberry as the brand’s ambassador, with Burberry “not standing on cotton cotton from Xinjiang clearly and publicly named,” she said. her group Thursday.
The company’s iconic plaid design has also been removed from the clothing worn by characters in Tencent Holdings Ltd’s popular video game “Honor of Kings”, according to a post on the game’s official Weibo account, earning praise from netizens China.
Burberry China did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment. Burberry cotton is available from the United States, Australia, Turkey, India and Egypt, according to its website.
The backing – especially in social and traditional media – has also included major market brands such as H&M, Adidas AG and Nike Inc that have previously expressed critical views about the working situation in Xinjiang, the. largest cotton-making division in China.
DA rights activists and experts have been accused in China of mass arrest, torture, forced labor and sterilizationations on Uighurs in Xinjiang. China denies the allegations and says its actions in the region are needed to counter terrorism.
In a letter to British lawyers in November, Burberry said they had no jobs in Xinjiang or work with any suppliers based there, adding that it did not provide any form of slavery of the day. -today among the providers, including forced, bonded or neutral prison labor.
China’s clothing and apparel National Council in a statement on Friday urged international brands to stop “misconduct”, including a ban on cotton from Xinjiang in their supply chain, out of respect for consumers. -Purchase.
Hong Kong lawyer Regina Ip said she would stop buying Burberry.
“Burberry is one of my favorite brands. But I will stop buying Burberry products. I will stand with my country in boycott companies that spread lies about Xinjiang,” Ip wrote on the her Twitter account. (Reporting by Ryan Woo and Beijing newsroom; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)