中国、「新疆綿」調達やめたＨ＆Ｍに猛反発　通販サイトから商品消える

【北京ＡＦＰ＝時事】中国・新疆ウイグル自治区で生産された綿花の調達をやめたスウェーデンの服飾大手「H&M」が、人権侵害をめぐる批判への態度を硬化させている中国側の猛烈な反発に遭っている。（写真は資料写真）
　２４日には、電子商取引（ＥＣ）大手アリババ傘下の人気通販サイト「淘宝（タオバオ）」からＨ＆Ｍの製品が姿を消した。このほか、人気俳優２人がＨ＆Ｍとの関係を解消し、国営メディアもＨ＆Ｍを批判する論説を掲載した。
　Ｈ＆Ｍは昨年、新疆ウイグル自治区での民族的・宗教的少数派の「強制労働」の恩恵を受けていると批判されたことを受け、「新疆綿」の調達をやめ、中国の製糸業者との関係も断つと発表していた。
　Ｈ＆Ｍ中国法人は２４日夜、自社は「いかなる政治的立場をも代表しない」と言明し、中国への長期的な投資を今後も続けると発表した。
　中国共産党の青年組織である共産主義青年団は２４日、中国版ツイッター「微博（ウェイボー）」に、「新疆綿をボイコットするとうわさをまき散らしておきながら、中国で金もうけをしたいだと？ 甘い考えだ！」と投稿した。
　国営メディアは、「隠された動機」に基づく「うそ」があると激しく非難している。
　中国中央テレビ（ＣＣＴＶ）は、「中国の釜をたたき壊しながら中国の米を食べている」とＨ＆Ｍを批判し、その目的は「中国企業とその労働者の発展空間（成長する余地）を損なうことだ」と主張。新華社通信は、事実を尊重することが肝心だとの見方を示した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/03/30-13:35）

Swedish clothing giant H&M's decision to no longer source cotton from China's Xinjiang region is drawing a backlash as the Asian country adopts an increasingly assertive stance against accusations of human rights violations.
The fashion retailer's products had vanished from Chinese tech titan Alibaba's e-commerce platform Taobao on Wednesday, while two popular actors cut ties with H&M and state media published commentaries criticising the company.
Last year H&M said it would not source cotton from Xinjiang and was ending its relationship with a Chinese yarn producer over forced labour accusations involving minorities in the region.
The company's statement came after a report by think tank the Australian Strategic Policy Institute pointed to H&M as a beneficiary of a forced labour transfer programme.
H&M China in a statement on Wednesday night said it does not represent any political position and remains committed to long-term investment in China.
The European Union, United States, Britain and Canada announced sanctions on Chinese officials on Monday in an escalating row over the treatment of China's Uyghur minority group.
Rights groups say at least one million Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim minorities have been incarcerated in camps in Xinjiang, where authorities are also accused of forcibly sterilising women and imposing forced labour.
China denies the allegations and says training programmes and work schemes have helped stamp out extremism.
Spreading rumours to boycott Xinjiang cotton, while wanting to make money in China? Wishful thinking! the Communist Youth League, the youth wing of China's ruling party, wrote on the Twitter-like Weibo platform Wednesday.
State media lashed out against what it called lies made with ulterior motives.
Broadcaster CCTV criticised H&M for eating China's rice while smashing its pot and accused the company of aiming to destroy the development space of Chinese enterprises and workers.
Xinhua news agency added that respecting facts was the key bottom line.
The office of actress Victoria Song -- who used to endorse H&M -- released a statement saying she no longer had a relationship with the firm and the country's interests are above all.