Uniqlo under Fire: Call for Boycott in China after Xinjiang Comment

The fashion world is once again at the center of geopolitical tensions after Tadashi Yanai, CEO of parent company Fast Retailing, stated in a BBC interview that Uniqlo has no cotton sourcing from the Chinese region of Xinjiang. This region has come under international criticism in recent years due to allegations of forced labor. On China's social media, particularly on the platform Weibo, comments from users calling for a boycott of the Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo spread. Many users expressed their disappointment with Yanai's statements and declared that they would refrain from purchasing the products in the future. One Weibo user noted, 'With such a stance from Uniqlo, its founder is probably betting that mainland consumers will forget after a few days and continue buying. Can we remain firm this time?' Fast Retailing, which owns Uniqlo, has over 900 stores in China and generates more than 20% of its revenue from the Greater China region, including Taiwan and Hong Kong. The issue of raw material procurement from Xinjiang remains a sensitive topic for Western companies heavily reliant on Chinese markets. Uniqlo's competitor H&M already experienced this when it faced a boycott in 2021 after concerns about forced labor in Xinjiang were raised. This led to drastic measures against H&M, including removal from platforms and map services in China. The incident once again highlights the difficult balance between ethical business decisions and commercial interests in one of the world's most important consumer markets.