Huawei removes Nike and Adidas from its app store amid Xinjiang cotton controversy

A nationwide consumer boycott against foreign brands is sweeping the country in response to their previous statements about refusing to use Xinjiang cotton

A Tmall sale offering the latest Nike women’s shoes for 699 yuan (US$107) on Friday night attracted 350,000 subscribers, and the product sold out immediately

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A man browses his smartphone outside a Huawei store at a shopping mall in Beijing. Photo: AP

Published: 11:02am, 29 Mar 2021Updated: 2:49pm, 29 Mar 2021

Chinese telecommunication giant Huawei Technologies Co has suspended downloads of sportswear brands Nike and Adidas from its app store amid a public uproar in China over their position on the alleged use of forced labour by Xinjiang cotton producers.

Although the Chinese government has not singled out any particular company, a nationwide consumer boycott against foreign brands – including H&M, Nike, Adidas and Burberry – is sweeping the country in response to their previous statements about refusing to use Xinjiang cotton. Nike and Adidas, which have been growing rapidly in China, had said previously that they do not source products or yarn from the Xinjiang region.

On Monday morning, Nike and Adidas apps on Huawei’s app store were not available to download, with search results for the two brands on Huawei phones greyed out. Huawei did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Separately, a number of celebrities, including Hong Kong Canto-pop star Eason Chan, have publicly cut their ties with the sportswear giants.

However, the boycott has not affected their sales in China. As of Monday, the brands could still be found on major Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Taobao, JD.com and Pinduoduo, and consumer demand remains high.

A sale offering the latest Nike women’s shoes for 699 yuan (US$107) on Friday night on the brand’s online store in Tmall attracted 350,000 subscribers and the product sold out immediately. Tmall and Taobao’s owner, Alibaba Group Holdings, is the parent company of the South China Morning Post.

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