Miscellaneous News

H&M must be made an example of, since the Swedish government banned Huawei, China will ban one of their companies.

Kill the chicken to scare the monkeys.

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However, in real life, the situation is far more weird and complex.

The fact is that H&M acted on their own accord and decided to ban Xinjiang cotton.

H&M volunteered to be the chicken.

horse said:

H&M must be made an example of, since the Swedish government banned Huawei, China will ban one of their companies.

Kill the chicken to scare the monkeys.

--------- --------- ---------

However, in real life, the situation is far more weird and complex.

The fact is that H&M acted on their own accord and decided to ban Xinjiang cotton.

H&M volunteered to be the chicken.

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The multinationals that placed a ban on Xinjiang inputs like labour and materials are discriminating against and trying to reduce the incomes of ethnic Uyghurs who are amongst the poorest in China. Other ethnic groups are not directly affected by this ban. As policy these companies should be encouraged to contribute towards poverty alleviation rather than actively discriminating against groups like Uyghurs. These brands are doing the opposite to what they preach. They are not promoting any human rights rather they are just virtue signaling and contributing negatively towards poverty alleviation.

siegecrossbow said:

Apparently H&M isn't even doing this out of pressure from EU government. One of the execs saw Xinjiang related news and is doing this out of the "goodness" of his or her heart.

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A case of go woke, go broke...

SilentObserver said:

The multinationals that placed a ban on Xinjiang inputs like labour and materials are discriminating against and trying to reduce the incomes of ethnic Uyghurs who are amongst the poorest in China. Other ethnic groups are not directly affected by this ban. As policy these companies should be encouraged to contribute towards poverty alleviation rather than actively discriminating against groups like Uyghurs. These brands are doing the opposite to what they preach. They are not promoting any human rights rather they are just virtue signaling and contributing negatively towards poverty alleviation.

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Western liberalism is so full of internal contradictions now.

Let's put aside China for a minute here and go with a more "neutral" example. There were some protests not too long ago by the "woke" in Canada in "solidarity" with some hereditary Indigenous chiefs over LNG pipeline construction.

Here's the problem, the project was actually voted upon by the local native bands who were in favour of the construction so they could benefit economically.

So the "woke" people protesting against the pipeline were
1. Protesting against democracy (by supporting the hereditary chiefs vs. elected councils)
2. Assuming that all native groups are homogenous (racist)
3. Trying to be self-appointed gatekeepers to people's economic freedom (contrary to what is normally promoted for women)

horse said:

It might be bigger than that.

The RCEP will be here soon.

There are three major producers of cotton in the world. Indian, America, and China.

China will not tolerate a ban on Chinese cotton for the RCEP.

China could insist RCEP uses Xinjiang cotton.

A company like H&M could be losing more than the China market.

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I don't know if China would press RCEP to use Chinese cotton. Its kinda uncharacteristic of China to force their own interests on multilateral agreements like the RCEP.

horse said:

There are three major producers of cotton in the world. Indian, America, and China.

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This would be interesting. If these 'woke' companies can procure cotton from America and India to protest against 'Chinese forced labour'. China can investigate these countries all the same. There are actual labour abuses happening in the USA and India.

1) America. In America, the employment of penal labour (aka modern day slave labour) has been confirmed. Penal labour have been documented to be employed in agricultural industries. What are the odds that some of it had made their way into cotton plantations? China can empower and fund good and honest investigative journalists in the US to go and investigate this.

2) India. It is generally known that child labour is practiced in India. During the "Great Indian Covid-19 Migration" of 2020, a 12-year old migrant worker, Jamlo Makdam died from exhaustion after walking 150km from Telangana to her hometown in Chhattisgarh. She was at Telangana to work in the chilly fields. Now, what are the chances that child labour was also employed in India's cotton fields? It wouldn't be too hard for investigative journalists in India to uncover some really unpleasant truths. But coming back to Jamlo Makdam. How many in the West knew her story? How many in the West are gonna boycott Indian chilies because of this story? Practically zero, because this does not fit the Western narrative that India>China in human rights.

China can compile the findings of the investigations into the actual labour abuses of USA and India in their own respective cotton industries. Compare that to the lack of evidence for the lies of 'Xinjiang forced labour'. Broadcast an exposé on the hypocrisy of the companies who boycotted Xinjiang cotton and then sue hell out of them. China does not need win the case. Its just needed to build publicity. What is most important is to expose these 'woke' companies for their crocodile tears for the Uighur people.

Any time a comedian is accused of racist jokes they always hide behind it's comedy. Like that somehow makes it all right? Racists love jokes that aren't funny but it just demeans other races and they're screaming their heads off with laughter. When Andrew Dice Clay was at his height of success he would makes "jokes" mentioning Asians, not by name, but referring them as the color of pee and people would have a riot laughing. A lot of comedians will claim they're actually making fun of racists by exposing how they laugh at racist jokes. Howard Stern claims to be one of them but the thing is he's totally against jokes that make fun of Jews. Aren't anti-Semitic jokes helping to expose anti-Semitism? Bill Burr who is popular among Republicans was on a show where he was being interviewed where he said he doesn't understand what's wrong with making racist jokes but then later on the very same show he says he doesn't like jokes about white people because they always make white people out to be one dimensional. Now he knows what's the problem with racist jokes.

supersnoop said:

Western liberalism is so full of internal contradictions now.

Let's put aside China for a minute here and go with a more "neutral" example. There were some protests not too long ago by the "woke" in Canada in "solidarity" with some hereditary Indigenous chiefs over LNG pipeline construction.

Here's the problem, the project was actually voted upon by the local native bands who were in favour of the construction so they could benefit economically.

So the "woke" people protesting against the pipeline were
1. Protesting against democracy (by supporting the hereditary chiefs vs. elected councils)
2. Assuming that all native groups are homogenous (racist)
3. Trying to be self-appointed gatekeepers to people's economic freedom (contrary to what is normally promoted for women)

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It’s a feature, not a bug. What is the biggest driving force for de-radicalisation in Xinjiang? It’s not ‘concentration camps’ but wealth creation and poverty alleviation.

The camps are part re-education and mostly vocational training because China realises the root cause of unrest is poverty, and that ideological loyalty won’t last on empty stomachs.

The camps were about de-radicalisation and also giving those most at risk of radicalisation a trade or at least put them on the path to earning skills and qualifications that will allow them to join the growing jobs market and start earning a decent living. And it’s working.

That is why the CIA is pushing this ‘genocide’ nonsense. There is zero chance of anyone moronic enough to go to war with China over this, so what’s the goal? Well it’s economic isolation like the target boycotts being promoted by the western companies.

Their aim is to sabotage the economic development in Xinjiang to keep it poor so their agents and cat paws can blame that on poor management or discrimination by Beijing to whip up discontent and unrest. Or failing that, briefcases of money buy a lot more ‘loyalty’ when the locals are direct poor so they get more value for money.

The European Parliament canceled a meeting scheduled for Tuesday to discuss the comprehensive agreement on investment (CAI) with China, a move believed to be protesting against Beijing's tit-for-tat countermeasures targeting EU sanctions over Xinjiang affairs, media reported.

Considering the EU's fresh move as walking a tightrope that serves neither side's interest, observers think trade relations might suffer from the possibility of a postponed deal signing, a scenario that could deal a blow especially to EU vehicle manufacturers, among the continent's businesses hinging on the Chinese market for growth.

In response to a question about the canceled meeting, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Wednesday that the China-EU CAI is not a gift bestowed upon one side by the other side, but is mutually beneficial and reciprocal.

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Western arrogance. That's what's actually happening here. The EU would rather double down on the Xinjiang lies and commit economic suicide than to talk with China.

Sardaukar20 said:

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Western arrogance. That's what's actually happening here. The EU would rather double down on the Xinjiang lies and commit economic suicide than to talk with China.

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Meh thats just grandstanding and for show. EU is in a desperate economical position and cannot afford to not sign it.

Plus the Germans are commited to signing it. Just theatrics to make themselves feel better.
Just watch some interviews on this issue. Everyone says that the CAI is a different issue and it will not be affected much.
However they need to make a symbolic response, thats why they cancelled their meeting..

voyager1 said:

Meh thats just grandstanding and for show. EU is in a desperate economical position and cannot afford to not sign it.

Plus the Germans are commited to signing it. Just theatrics to make themselves feel better.
Just watch some interviews on this issue. Everyone says that the CAI is a different issue and it will not be affected much.
However they need to make a symbolic response, thats why they cancelled their meeting..

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Common sense says that the CAI should be signed eventually.

But how dare the EU do this as a symbolic response. What they just did was support a slanderous narrative in Xinjiang and justified their sanctions. China cannot let them get away with this. Give them an ultimatum to come for the next meeting, or else there would be no deal. Then we shall see how desperate they truly are. If they decide to no deal, then good luck to them.