The cotton industry in Xinjiang, China is known for forced labor and is linked to China's genocidal campaign against Uyghur families and identity. Despite this knowledge, Western companies continued to use Xinjiang cotton until the US government imposed import prohibitions. When H&M announced they would no longer use Xinjiang cotton, they faced a strong consumer boycott in China, supported by the state. Companies like H&M are now caught between societal pressure to uphold human rights and legal obligations in Western countries, and the risk of facing backlash in China for not using Xinjiang cotton.
Is China’s ascendance to world leadership an unstoppable force or a challenge we can overcome? Axios reporter Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian's recent book, Beijing Rules: How China Weaponized Its Economy to Confront the World, looks to help answer that question. For several decades Chinese ascendancy has been supported by an astonishingly broad and deep portfolio of quiet coercion. The stories are breathtaking – Chinese-sponsored reporting in national newspapers and academia; the gagging of sports stars and huge Western brands; Hollywood self-censorship; utilisation of private companies for surveillance. Joining Allen-Ebrahimian in conversation is Intelligence Squared's Conor Boyle.
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