China is forcing foreign shoe and clothing brands to reject reports of abuses in Xinjiang. The country has targeted H&M, Nike, Adidas and other brands after Western governments banned cotton from its Xinjiang factories due to instances of labor abuses. As per reports, China has confined over one million members of the Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities to camps in Xinjiang in China's Northwest. Authorities there are accused of imposing forced labour and coercive birth control measures.

The Chinese government has rejected these complaints and said the camps are for job training to support economic development and combat Islamic radicalism. Chinese Official media criticized H&M, Nike, Adidas, Uniqlo and Burberry for expressing concern about reports of forced labor in Xinjiang.

The Chinese Communist Party is known to pressurize foreign clothing, travel and other brands over actions by their governments or to compel them to adopt its positions on Taiwan, Tibet and other sensitive issues. Most comply because China is one of the biggest, fastest-growing markets for global fashion, electronics and other consumer brands.