After a BBC report on Uniqlo boss’s comments in Xinjiang, China is calling on companies to ease political pressure and make independent business decisions

Mao Ning, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The cotton produced in China’s Xinjiang region is among the best in the world. “We hope relevant companies can eliminate political pressure and negative interference and make independent business decisions consistent with their own interests,” Mao Ning, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, said on Friday in response to a question about a BBC report, in which the boss The company behind the global fashion chain Uniqlo said the company does not use Xinjiang cotton.

A screenshot of the BBC interview with Tadashi Yanai, CEO of Fast Retailing, the parent company of global fashion chain Uniqlo.

Tadashi Yanai, chief executive of Fast Retailing, the parent company of global fashion chain Uniqlo, spoke to the BBC in Tokyo about the company’s moves to be more transparent about where the materials in its clothes come from and how they are made: “We don’t use cotton Xinjiang,” the BBC reported Thursday.

“By mentioning what cotton we use…,” he continued, before pausing and ending his response with “Actually, if I say anything more, it will be too political, so let’s stop there,” the report said.

In a separate report with Nikkei Asia, Yanai recently said manufacturing in China remained important for the fashion retailer.

“We, Fast Retailing, have grown together with the Chinese textile industry,” Yanai said, as Nikkei Asia reported on Monday.

As of October, Uniqlo has 927 stores in mainland China, according to the company’s website.

In 2022, Yanai chose not to confirm Uniqlo’s cotton sourcing from Xinjiang, stating that he wanted to maintain neutrality between China and the US. He said the US approach appeared to force companies to declare their loyalty and assured that “Uniqlo will not play this game,” Xinhua news agency reported.

Global times