Hong Kong Cantopop singer Eason Chan cuts ties with Adidas after brands reject Xinjiang 'forced labour'

Hong Kong Cantopop star Eason Chan has cut ties with Adidas after a group of clothing brands rejected cotton produced in China’s Xinjiang amid claims of forced labour.

The award-winning 46-year-old singer announced on Weibo on Thursday that he and his firm My Kan Wonderland Limited would no longer be ambassadors for the German sportswear brand: “This company and its artist Mr Eason Chan resolutely boycott any behaviour vilifying China. Starting from today, [we] terminate all collaboration with the Adidas brand,” the statement read.

The message did not appear on Chan’s Facebook page.

This week, Adidas – alongside Nike and H&M – have come under fire by mainland netizens and state media, for previously expressing concern about reports of forced labour.

The brands are members of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), which promotes sustainable cotton production. It has also seen a backlash after it said last October that it would suspend approval of cotton sourced from Xinjiang for the 2020-2021 season amid human rights concerns. Meanwhile, several e-commerce platforms have dropped foreign brands from their stores amid boycott calls.

Another Hong Kong Cantopop singer Joey Yung also shared a post on Weibo on Thursday expressing her support for Xinjiang cotton, whilst local pro-Beijing lawmaker Regina Ip did so on Twitter.

Burberry is one of my favorite brands. But I will stop buying Burberry products. I stand with my country in boycotting companies that spread lies about Xinjiang.
— Regina Ip Lau Suk Yee (@ReginaIplau) March 25, 2021

According to state-run tabloid Global Times, 50 Chinese stars have thus far voiced support for the cotton industry.

According to its financial report, China represented 24 per cent of Adidas’s net sales in 2020.

Cotton fields

Last December, the BBC published an investigation showing how Uighurs had been forced to work in Xinjiang’s cotton fields. However, Beijing has insisted that claims of forced labour are “entirely fabricated.”

The predominantly Muslim Uyghur ethnic group are among the minorities targeted in what Beijing claims is a campaign to tackle unrest and separatism. The UN says a million Uyghurs were arbitrarily detained in “political re-education camps,” whilst Human Rights Watch reports that surveillance and repression in Xinjiang has increased dramatically since 2016. Several western countries have imposed sanctions over Beijing’s actions.

The boycott calls come days after the European Union sanctioned several Chinese officials over the alleged rights abuses.

Additional reporting: Kelly Ho.

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