CHINA / POLITICS
Don’t sacrifice own interests to cater to US: Xinjiang official on Sam’s Club removing Xinjiang products
Published: Jan 13, 2022 08:08 PM
Sam's Club store in Yizhuang area of Beijing  Photo: Li Hao/GT

Sam's Club store in Yizhuang area of Beijing Photo: Li Hao/GT


"There is no such thing as 'forced labor' in Xinjiang. Some enterprises should not sacrifice their own interests to suit the will of the US," Xu Guixiang, a spokesperson of the Xinjiang regional government, said in response to Walmart's Sam's Club reportedly removing Xinjiang products from its stores, at a press conference on Thursday.

Any company found to be making money from Chinese consumers while removing Chinese products is bound to face a strong backlash from the Chinese people. H&M and Intel are the best examples, Xu added.

Chinese consumers in large numbers have expressed anger toward Sam's Club and many canceled their membership after the supermarket chain was found to have removed most products from China's Xinjiang region.

Xu noted that enterprises should never underestimate the patriotism of Chinese consumers and their efforts to safeguard their rights in accordance with the law. More importantly, it would be incalculable for the enterprises to underestimate the consequences of engaging in political manipulation with US politicians.

Some enterprises from abroad, including Tesla, Carrefour, and Metro AG, launched Xinjiang product shopping festivals to promote Xinjiang specialties and carry out cooperation with Xinjiang enterprises. These positive attitudes and efforts have been well received by Chinese consumers, and the Chinese markets can also feel such sincerity, Xu emphasized.