"Chinese boycott against Nike and Adidas over Xinjiang cotton appears to be losing steam", 28 March 2021

A Chinese consumer boycott against international brands such as Nike and Adidas appeared to be losing steam over the weekend.

Nationalists had called for a boycott after statements expressing concern about allegations of forced labour in Xinjiang resurfaced and a number of celebrities, including the Hong Kong singer Eason Chan, publicly cut their ties with the sportswear giants.

But sports teams remained largely silent over their deals with the companies and their products remained on sale online – with demand remaining high. [...]

Nike and Adidas also appeared to be trading as normal in China on Sunday. The brands could still be found on major Chinese online platforms such as Taobao and JD.com despite some web users calling for a complete boycott of all the brands involved in the Xinjiang cotton controversy.

A sale offering the latest women’s Nike shoes for 699 yuan (US$107) on Friday night at the brand’s online store in Tmall attracted 350,000 subscribers and the product sold out instantly.

Meanwhile, Soccer News reported that the state-backed China Football Association had “internally” condemned Nike for its stance on Xinjiang cotton but had not cut its 10-year contract with the sportswear company.
Nike has also signed similar deals with a number of professional soccer clubs in China. [...]