Popular Cantopop star Eason Chan announced on Thursday that he is terminating collaboration with Adidas, a member of global sustainability program Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) which said last October it would pull out from Xinjiang due to concerns about forced labor.
Chan’s statement, which was published on Chinese social media platform Weibo, declared that he and his company will “resolutely boycott any behaviour vilifying China.”
“From today onwards, [we] will cease all collaboration with Adidas,” the statement adds.
Besides being a member of BCI, Adidas also said in its Modern Slavery Act Transparency Statement, published Oct. 2019, that it has never manufactured goods in Xinjiang nor has it had contractual relationships with any Xinjiang supplier.
On Facebook and popular forum LIHKG, many Hongkongers expressed disappointment after Chan announced he would cut ties with Adidas, a move read as support for the Chinese Communist Party.
“I will never listen to his songs again!” One Facebook user wrote.
Another photoshopped a picture of Chan wearing a Chinese-style graduation gown and holding a certificate that reads “I support Xinjiang cotton.”
A number of artists, many of whom have a large fanbase in mainland China, have declared ceasing partnerships with brands that have expressed concern over claims of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, one of the largest cotton producers in the world.
Cantopop singer Joey Yung, Chinese actress Angelababy and Taiwanese actor Eddie Pang are among the celebrities who have spoken out and dismissed allegations of forced labor in China’s far western region.
Amid deteriorating diplomatic relationships between China and the west, fashion retailers including H&M, Nike and Burberry—also members of BCI—are facing backlash from Chinese netizens over their old comments regarding the alleged use of forced Uyghur labour.
Read more: ‘What genocide?’ Pro-Beijing lawmaker Regina Ip disputes widely-reported persecution of Uighurs
The statements resurfaced after EU countries, Canada, Britain and the United States imposed sanctions on Chinese officials over alleged human rights violations earlier this week, stirring up the patriotic sentiments of Chinese netizens.
Some of these statements, including H&M’s, have since been removed from their websites.
Still, many are calling for a boycott of these brands, accusing them of “spreading rumours” and “smearing China.”
A hashtag started by state media group People’s Daily, “#ISupportXinjiangCotton,” has been a trending topic on Weibo in recent days.
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