MPs ‘horrified’ after Shein dodges questions over forced labour
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MPs were left “horrified” after a Shein lawyer refused to answer questions over the risk of forced labour in its cotton supply chain. Yinan Zhu, EMEA general counsel at Shein, appeared before the Business and Trade Committee on Tuesday amid reports that the fast-fashion retailer plans a stock market float in the UK that could be worth £50 billion.
The company has faced allegations that some of the clothes it sells contain cotton sourced from the north-western region of Xinjiang, where China has been accused of subjecting members of the Uyghur minority group to forced labour and genocide. MPs grew frustrated as Ms Zhu repeatedly declined to answer inquiries over the company’s cotton supply chain and potentially listing its shares on the London Stock Exchange.
Liam Byrne, who chairs the committee, said: “For a company that sells a billion pounds to UK consumers and which is seeking to float on the London Stock Exchange, the committee has been pretty horrified by the lack of evidence you have provided. “You have given us almost zero confidence in the integrity of your supply chains, you can’t even tell us what your products are made from, you can’t tell us much about the conditions which workers have to work in.
“The reluctance to answer basic questions has frankly bordered on contempt of the committee.”. His comments followed a tense exchange in which he asked Ms Zhu whether Shein uses cotton supplied from China, and then more specifically from Xinjiang. Ms Zhu said: “For detailed operational information and other aspects, I am not able to assist. I will have to write back to the committee afterwards.”.
