China Erasing H&M from Internet Amid Xinjiang Backlash
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4C RECORDS/NEWS TEXARKANA GAZETTE ✯ SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 2021 China erasing H&M from internet amid Xinjiang backlash The Associated Press peared from app stores. Rein said the outpour- over a year earlier as con- also is known as Victoria H&M’s announcement HONG KONG — H&M It wasn’t clear whether ing of anger at H&M is sumer demand rebounded Song, and actor Huang last year that it no longer disappeared from the inter- companies received orders the harshest he has seen from the coronavirus, while Xuan announced earlier would use Xinjiang cotton net in China as the gov- to erase H&M’s online pres- against a foreign brand. He North American sales fell they were ending endorse- cited the BCI’s move to stop ernment raised pressure on ence, but Chinese enter- said companies are espe- 10%. ment deals with H&M. licensing cotton from the shoe and clothing brands prises are expected to fall cially sensitive because An H&M outlet in In Hong Kong, pro-Beijing region because it was dif- and announced sanctions in line without being told. this comes at a time when Shanghai had only a hand- lawmaker Regina Ip said in a ficult to trace how it was Friday against British offi- Regulators have broad pow- Chinese anti-monopoly and ful of customers on Friday Twitter post that she would produced. cials in a spiraling fight ers to punish companies other regulators are step- afternoon. stop buying Burberry, one It was unclear why the over complaints of abuses that fail to support official ping up scrutiny of internet “I wasn’t aware of the of her favorite brands. party targeted H&M, whose in the Xinjiang region. policy. operators. backlash. I came here to buy “I stand with my coun- expression of concern about H&M products were miss- The ruling Communist “If they don’t try to criti- a coat for spring because try in boycotting compa- Xinjiang was similar to that ing from major e-commerce Party’s Youth League cize, they’ll also get in trou- H&M is reasonably priced nies that spread lies about of other companies. But its platforms including Alibaba launched attacks ble,” Rein said. and fashionable,” said Wang Xinjiang,” she said. home country of Sweden and JD.com following calls Wednesday on H&M fol- In Washington, State Yuying, a 52-year-old retir- Not all brands have might be seen by Chinese by state media for a boy- lowing the European Department spokesperson ee who was shopping at the shunned Xinjiang sourcing. leaders as more susceptible cott over the Swedish retail- Union’s decision to join condemned China’s state- store. South Korean athlet- to pressure due to its small er’s decision to stop buy- the United States, Britain led social media campaign “I’ll still buy something ic shoe brand FILA said size. ing cotton from Xinjiang. and Canada in imposing and corporate and consum- since I’m already here, but Friday the company buys Relations between Beijing That hurts H&M’s ability to sanctions on Chinese offi- er boycott against compa- if this backlash lasts for a cotton from Xinjiang and and Stockholm have been reach customers in a coun- cials blamed for abuses in nies. really long time, I will buy will keep doing so. strained since 2015 when try where more than a fifth Xinjiang. “We commend and stand less from this brand.” On its social media a Chinese-born Swedish On Friday, the Chinese with companies that adhere A salesman, who asked of shopping is online. account, FILA China said publisher disappeared from government announced to the U.S. laws and ensure not to be identified by name Shockwaves spread to it has started the process Thailand and surfaced in other brands as dozens penalties against nine products we’re consuming due to the sensitivity of the Britons and four insti- are not made with forced matter, said there were far of withdrawing from the China. The Chinese ambas- of celebrities called off Better Cotton Initiative, an sador angered the Swedish endorsement deals with tutions. They are banned labor,” deputy spokesperson fewer shoppers than on a from visiting China or hav- Jalina Porter told reporters. normal Friday. The sales- industry group that pro- government by referring to Nike, Adidas, Burberry, motes environmental and it in a TV interview as a Uniqlo and Lacoste after ing financial transactions “We continue to support man said he understood with its citizens and insti- and encourage businesses why consumers were angry labor standards. “lightweight boxer.” state media criticized the tutions. to respect human rights in but said if the backlash con- brands for expressing con- More than 1 million line with the U.N. guiding tinues, it will hurt the liveli- cern about Xinjiang. members of the Uyghur principles on business and hoods of local employees of Brands are struggling to RALPH W. MILLER and other predominant- human rights in the OECD the brands targeted. respond to pressure abroad ly Muslim ethnic minori- guidelines for multinational Two Burberry-designed to distance themselves from ties have been confined enterprises.” character outfits in abuses without triggering to detention camps in The Communist Party Tencent’s popular Honor Chinese retaliation and los- Xinjiang, according to for- often pressures foreign of Kings mobile game ing access to one of the eign governments and clothing, travel and other were removed, the game’s biggest and fastest-growing researchers. Authorities brands over actions by their social media account said markets. That pressure is there are accused of impos- governments or in an effort Thursday. It gave no reason. rising as human rights activ- ing forced labor and coer- to compel them to adopt its Celebrities includ- ists are lobbying sponsors cive birth control measures. positions on Taiwan, Tibet ing at least one Uyghur to pull out of the Beijing The Chinese government and other sensitive issues. announced they were end- Winter Olympics planned rejects complaints of abus- Most comply because ing endorsement deals with for February 2022. es and says the camps are China is one of the biggest, foreign shoe and clothing Tencent, which operates for job training to support fastest-growing markets for brands. games and the popular economic development and global fashion, electronics Gulnazar, an actress from WeChat message service, combat Islamic radicalism. and other consumer brands. Xinjiang, said she was Indianapolis, where he met announced it was remov- Ralph W. Miller passed State media accused H&M China is H&M’s breaking ties with Puma. On away peacefully on the a beautiful cadet nurse, ing Burberry-designed and other brands of improp- fourth-largest market her social media account, morning of March 18, 2021. Betty. Ralph and Betty costumes from a popular erly profiting from China behind Germany, the Gulnazar said she “reso- Ralph was loved by all married in September, mobile phone game. while criticizing it. That United States and Britain lutely resists all attempts to who knew him, and was 1947, and began their mar- In a high-tech version of prompted Chinese retailers and accounted about 5% of discredit China.” an inspiration to family, ried life together in Indiana. the airbrushing used by and internet companies to 2020 revenue. Singers Eason Chan and friends and anyone who From Indiana, Ralph and China and other authoritar- distance themselves from Greater China is Nike Angelababy of Hong Kong heard his life story. Betty moved to Florida for ian regimes to delete polit- the Swedish retailer, though Inc.’s third-largest market announced they were On November 26, 1919, a few years, and then to ical enemies from historic other brands still were after North America and breaking ties with Adidas. Ralph was born in Kokomo, Texarkana in the Fall of photos, H&M’s approxi- available on e-commerce Europe. Actress Zhou Dongyu split Indiana, the second of 1950. mately 500 stores in China platforms. Greater China account- from Burberry. Actors Ni Ni eight children of Ernest During the 1950s, Ralph didn’t show up on ride-hail- “It’s a form of self-pres- ed for 23% of Nike’s global and Jing Boran broke with M. & Susie B. Miller. He and Betty welcomed Janet, ing app Didi Chuxing or ervation,” said Shaun Rein, sales in the quarter ending Uniqlo. treasured his years grow- Linda and Susan. After a map services operated ing up on the family farm few years working at the managing director of China in February, compared with Song Qian, a singer and electric company, Ralph by Alibaba and Baidu. Its Market Research Group in 36.5% for North America. former member of the in Fulton County, Indiana. Family and friends have helped open Wadley smartphone app disap- Shanghai. But China revenue rose 51% Korean pop group f(x) who often said, “Ralph’s the Hospital, serving as the strongest man” they have Business Office Manager ever known. Strong, kind, and Purchasing Agent for generous, courageous, lov- several years. He retired in ing, witty, determined and 1977 with a perfect atten- brilliant — Ralph was all of dance record, and pursued these and more! his hobbies of fishing, card From an early age, Ralph games, home improve- dreamed of flying. Before he ments, and travel. The eviction moratorium is was old enough to enlist in During his 70-plus years the U.S. Army, he asked his as a Texarkana resident, mother to sign for him, so Ralph was a generous con- he could pursue his dream tributor to the community. of flying. He was trained as He volunteered with the expiring.