H&M is returning to Tmall, an e-commerce platform owned by Chinese internet giant Alibaba, after it was removed from there 16 months ago, Reuters reports. The Chinese website shut down the H&M online store after the brand criticized human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
The reopening was not announced but was noticed by Chinese users of the platform and then confirmed by a Reuters research. The reason for the reopening remains unclear for the time being. Both H&M and Alibaba have not yet responded to inquiries from the news agency.
In addition to Alibaba, many other Chinese platforms and apps also removed their references to the Swedish fashion retailer when they announced they would stop using cotton amid concerns over human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region. According to estimates by the United Nations and human rights organizations, more than a million people, mostly Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities, have been held in camps in the Xinjiang region in recent years. However, China denies all allegations of abuse.
H&M is said to be the only brand to have had its “online identity removed to this extent in China,” although other brands have made similar announcements, according to Reuters. As a result, as of March 2021, H&M in China can only sell online through its own website and through WeChat. In June this year, H&M closed its Shanghai store in response to the measures and lockdowns in the city.
This translated and edited post previously appeared on FashionUnited.nl. H&M has not yet responded to a request from FashionUnited.