Broadcasters in China have reportedly cleared the logos of Western clothing brands from their shows as retailers caught flak for their concerns about forced labor in the Xinjiang region.
Chinese TV networks are scrambling to oust people from Nike, Adidas’ logo and other companies from Xinjiang for facing reluctance to use cotton, where China has been accused of persecution of Uygar Muslims.
Some broadcasts have been delayed due to the censorship campaign, with editors obscuring the logo often worn on popular shows, According to the BBC.
In a recent episode of the singing competition, contestants from “Youth with You” were seen in Adidas track pants, T-shirts and shell-toe sneakers – all staining the brand’s iconic three-stripe logo. The insider reported.
The production company behind the show said on 25 March that an episode would be delayed – and two days later viewers came to know that more than 50 people had their shirts blurred, the BBC says.
The censors accused Nike of swooping on a pair of Air Jordan shoes that Chinese actress Zhang Lanxin wore on a reality show called “Listen, Me Too”, according to the insider.
The BBC reported that the sneakers were also blurred on a variety of shows “Sisters Who Make Waves”, so that singers and actors looked on screen as if they were “floating on clouds”.
Nike and Adidas are just two Western retailers that have boycotted threats in China over previous statements, insisting that they are not the source of cotton for Xinjiang.
Activists of the Chinese Communist Party have also targeted Swedish veteran H&M, which last week tried to criticize it with a critical statement stating that it is dedicated to rededicating the trust and confidence of Chinese consumers .
British luxury brand Burberry has also reportedly been drawn into the argument that it is a member of the Better Cotton Initiative, which revoked its approval of Xinjiang Cotton last year.
At the center of the blows are allegations of forced labor in Xinjiang, where Beijing has been accused of carrying out brutal crackdown on the Uygar Muslim minority group. China has denied the allegations.
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