Nike and H&M raised their concerns about the policies implemented by the Chinese government meeting the Uyghur Turks last year. In their statements, the two companies declared that "they are concerned about the news about the compelling cotton harvesting liability for the Uyghur Turks living in Xinjiang and for that reason their decision regarding not using East Turkistan based cotton in their products." A research paper published by the BBC in December publicized that Uyghur Turks, their numbers in exceeding hundreds of thousands, were pushed by the officials to work in cotton fields in China. Following the verdicts on the issue by the European Union Association and US and after the boycott campaign taken into the case by the Chinese communist party, many e- the trading platform have also stopped selling Nike and H & M branded products.
One fifth of the world's total cotton production is made in East Turkistan
The region where 80% of cotton production in China is achieved is very strategic. On the social media platform Weibo, the Communist Party's youth organization, the Communist Youth League, it was said that, "On the one hand, you spread rumors for boycotting Xinjiang based cotton, on the other hand, you aim to make a profit in China. What a conflict".
After the post that embedded in a screenshot of H & M's statement, the Chinese state media called for a boycott against these brands. The label named "I support Xinjiang cotton" , which goes to the first rank on Weibo with over 1,8 billion views.
Nike and H & M May Trust Turkey for their Production
Nike and H&M had to shut down their shops after the heavy boycott. Brands we talk about that make up the majority of their production in China. Companies whose productions are experiencing a atall planning to move their production to Turkey. Now, we can talk about four main production facilities owned by Nike in Turkish market. Following the boycott that emerged after the Covid 19 crisis in China, the measures to be taken by the brands are all closely monitored by the sector representatives.
