‘You can’t eat China meal and smash China bowl!’ Weibo bloggers’ rage raging on against U.S. and Western fashion brands over Xinjiang cotton controversy
Passion has been flaring continuously for almost two weeks now on Sina Weibo along with the comments under #I support Xinjiang cotton#. The anger had been building for months, with U.S. declaration of China’s human rights violations against the Uyghurs as genocide, U.S. bans on all cotton products from Xinjiang, and sanctions against Chinese officials. It burst into a firestorm upon news that H&M, Nike, Adidas, etc. had all expressed concerns over alleged forced labor in Xinjiang cotton production or stopped sourcing, and that BCI (Better Cotton Initiative), of which these brands were members, had suspended its activities in Xinjiang for the 2020-21 cotton season, and that behind BCI was the U.S. Agency for International Development as a major sponsor.
The People’s Daily called on the readers to support Xinjiang cotton and called for boycotting the brands concerned. The same paper, while reporting on how Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying showed a picture of American slaves picking cotton, asked: “China and the U.S., who exactly uses forced labor?” Besides alleging that the U.S. and West’s accusations of “forced labor” in Xinjiang were totally based on lies, Hua also uttered this sentence to the cheers of many of her fellow citizens: “The Chinese people won’t allow those foreigners eating China meal while smashing China bowl.”
Here is a look at Sina Weibo posts under #I support Xinjiang cotton” and #Central TV exposes why Xinjiang’s white cotton got blacklisted#.
Casual snapshot: In August last year, the Switzerland-based BCI cancelled indefinitely its certification for all Xinjiang cotton. The pretext for the canceling was the existence of “forced labor” among cotton businesses. General Manager Lu Jianchun of Xinjiang Guoxin Planting Industries said, “Pure nonsense. I do not know if they said this because they saw it or heard about it. Still nonsense. Not sure what is their purpose. This year, when we were recruiting workers, with a need of 80, about 160 to 170 people showed up. If we practice forced labor, would so many people come, and so interested?
CavyLee Yan Hong: Boycott Nike, Adidas! Today’s China is not the China that ceded territories and paid indemnities. Remove from the shelfs those brands that humiliate China!!
Sun Zujun Kris: After finishing work, first thing I did was to go to a Li Ning store. Not going to say much, just support Li Ning, support domestic brands!
Little Fatty of GD HK Macao: China’s cotton has become an excuse for the U.S. to suppress and sanction. BCI is now the hangman of Western liars. The U.S. slanders China under the guise of human rights. The population of Uyghurs has increased instead of decreasing. The artist Chen Yi resolutely broke off with the brand!
Little monster fighting Ultraman: Simply speaking, this is suppressing Xinjiang industries, making it difficult for Xinjiang economy to grow, making it hard for people to get out poverty, to cultivate instability. And it is being done by people who wave the banner of human rights.
A wave on the sea: Without the vast China market, how long can they stay arrogant? The Dolce & Gabbana event a few years ago did not seem to serve as a lesson for these brands. I am not saying Chinese consumers are saviors, but they should still be valued by these brands. Challenging China’s bottom line is to stand opposed to the Chinese people. This is a price they cannot afford to pay.
kingboer: U.S. Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson: “We wanted to mess up Xinjiang just to contain China. But don’t say that I said it.”
Special green apple: What we should do is boycott and let Nike know that there are consequences for humiliating China. We must raise our voices and refuse to buy, not just let it go organically. This is not an issue of an individual to freely choose to buy or not. Individuals are not enough. We need to bring along more people. Do not be a silent lamb to be slaughtered!
Mynameis_keke: China’s cotton is very soft, but China’s people are very strong.
Eva_5477: Why would they need foreign certification to sell in China? If certification is needs to sell in China, it should be issued by China!
Oh then la: Xinjiang cotton is being used as a test. If China is weak, the disgusting country will use the international standards in its control to contain China and all Made-in-China. They could do this to all Chinese products with unfounded excuses. After all, Chinese enterprises need to be strong and independent. My daily wish is to see the ugliest country suffer backlash, reap what one sows, and implode.
Tang eyes universe: Cotton is the staple of the textile industry. Attacking China’s cotton is attacking China’s textile industry. This is an effort to reshape the global industrial ecology, letting Europe lead China’s textile industry, the U.S. and Japan lead China’s electronic industry. What shall China do? Start demand-side reforms! We must deepen the overall balance of aggregate demand and optimize the industrial structure. Our diplomatic team is fighting, yet our financial team is cooperating with the American imperialists. Disgusting!
Siro Xi: Watched the whole TV program. Feels that the way they use rumors to create troubles is really ugly. But from the media point of view, however, what was the loophole that the Western media took advantage of? Was it because certain news was not reported fully and timely? Why were preparations not made before the fallout of economic losses? Shouldn’t new policies be adopted so no weird events would disturb the market? Many things to consider.
Old rusty man talks world: As a Chinese, I love my country. I remind myself all the time to buy our own products whenever possible. After all, others will not love you. Your own home is where love is.
Longzeer: Why don’t we establish a cotton certifying organization in the world?
About to fly-flying: Right now, we just do not buy. No apology, no buying. When you are wrong, you must admit it. You don’t admit it, I don’t buy. And I am scared to buy. I don’t want to buy and wear some new style only to have others shame me. I will be embarrassed. For someone shy as me to wear anything new, it would be hard. So why can’t you just apologize?
Giant panda loves badminton: The road to revival is long. For developing countries situated at the bottom of the supply chain, it is hard not to be controlled by the secondary and tertiary industries. The U.S. is really sparing no effort to make it hard for us. Now the battle has started, we must not be scared! Let us first solve the problem of Xinjiang cotton, and use this as a starting point. We must pay attention to all areas where U.S. power influences and mobilize as many others as possible to prepare just in case.
Liu Chenyi: Economy now is global. What will you do about those stores closed, the livelihood of the employees? Besides, are you sure that Chinese brands in other foreign markets would not be in trouble? You can boycott by yourself.
Xu Chaoyue: This is ridiculous! Trying to frame others of the criminal means you used against black people over the century ago!
Potato platoon leader: It is all about destroying China’s cotton industry, textile industry, and Xinjiang! They are suppressing China everywhere! Do they think the Chinese cannot do without their brands? Went shopping yesterday and wanted to buy Li Ning and Anta. Realized that Li Ning and Anta accounted very little while most of the stores were occupied by Nike, Adidas, PUMA, Converse. Hope Li Ning and Anta take the opportunity to expand sales, lay out a strategy, but not raise price.
Oxygen Xiaoyue ya: I support our country. But I am also thinking, while going through this, what shall those Adidas, Nike stores do? They obviously did not expect that something like this would happen. Some people have all their assets in those stores. What will happen to their livelihood? Where?
Ah stream and creek: I suggest that they provide the evidence/content of forced labor in Xinjiang, not just say they have reported about it. Those personnel in the reports should be interviewed on live broadcast and asked about every detail and let everyone see how ridiculous Western media is.
aaa from future: White that cannot be blackened even with ink. This sentence really suits the situation. No matter how Western countries slander, they would never contaminate our snow-white cotton.
Monster blade muramasa: I am from Xinjiang. My uncle works in Regiment 125 that contracts land to grow cotton. Now it is spring, they are already driving a farm machine to plow the land and prepare for next season. It is usually in September and October when the cotton is ready to be picked. Picking is now all mechanized, with cotton pickers. It looks lovely when cotton is being “spit” from the cotton pickers, like the cotton pickers laying “eggs.” Only the corners and edges where the cotton pickers cannot reach would manual picking be needed. But “corner cotton” is not that much, it is done in a couple days. The cotton is fluffy, soft, stretching very long, and very nice to touch. In the field, there are all ethnic workers, Han, Hui, Kazakh, Uygur, Mongolian, Xibe, etc. They work during the day and eat and drink and play cards together at night, living very happily and satisfactorily. I do not understand why they are slandering and demonizing us I thank the motherland for its power. I thank the people and the net friends of the whole country for your support. For those ignorant people, come to see Xinjiang with your own eyes. People here are warm and lovely, scenery is beautiful, gourmet food plenty, and melons and fruits sweet. Do not smear clean-dressed people because you are dirty. Wash yourself clean first if you want to make yourself better.
mj breeze: People on the street interviewed by BBC about their views on H&M boycotting Xinjiang cotton: You come to do business in China and boycott China’s raw material, you must have something wrong with your brain.
Small deer WeiAn: H&M is still open as usual. On some platforms, Nike shoe sales have gone up instead of down. Boycott or not, it is what it is. There may also be a double standard for patriotism.
Lotus send send send a WeChat-0-: Saw a public account KickPro using April Fool’s Day to joke about Xinjiang cotton to attract eyeball volume. “NIKE issues statement of apology and will quit BCI! BCI under pressure will dissolve!” The post even included pictures of NIKE statement and of BCI. Looks like they really racked their brains to come up with this plan. At the end of the post it said, “Note: The above news is pure fictious. If there are similarities, here is wishing your family a happy April Fool’s Day.