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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New investigation raises red flags over popular fashion brand: 'Not simply turning a blind eye'
A new investigation is raising serious concerns about fast fashion giant Shein's ties to forced labor and human rights abuses, sparking renewed calls for accountability by the brand and the fashion industry, Leigh Day reported. An investigation by the campaign group Stop Uyghur Genocide uncovered an alleged link between fast-fashion retailer Shein and textile manufacturing in China's Xinjiang region, an area infamously associated with forced labor. The link is so strong that the U.S. government "presumes that all goods manufactured in the region are made with forced labor," per the law firm Leigh Day, which represents Stop Uyghur Genocide. China denies all allegations of genocide, forced labor, and human rights violations in Xinjiang, according to the Financial Times. Stop Uyghur Genocide's research focused on the Guangqing Textile and Garment Industry Orderly Transfer Park in China's Guangdong province, which reportedly received investment and support from Shein. The park was specifically designed to connect Xinjiang-based cotton and textile companies with e-commerce platforms like Shein, according to the report. Shein's reported involvement with the park includes signing a strategic cooperation agreement in November 2023 and hosting an "investment promotion event" there in March 2024, allegedly encouraging manufacturers to "move to the premises with the potential benefit of becoming a supplier for Shein," per Leigh Day. Given the park's role in sourcing Xinjiang textiles, outlined here by the U.S. Department of Labor, and Shein's alleged participation, the research suggests Shein's products are at a high risk of being made with materials linked to forced labor. The concerns outlined in the study are part of broader international criticism of China's treatment of the Uyghur population in the Xinjiang region. Several countries, including the U.S., have formally accused China of genocide, CNN reported. Stop Uyghur Genocide said that Shein's support of the textile park could be seen as profiting from the forced labor and upholding modern slavery, per Leigh Day. What should be done to make home solar panels cheaper? More tax incentives Lower installation costs Better loan options They're cheap enough already Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. But fast fashion doesn't just exploit vulnerable workers — it also takes a serious toll on the environment. Built on speed, volume, and disposability, the fast fashion model encourages consumers to buy large quantities of cheap, low-quality garments, which are quickly discarded. This cycle of overconsumption is expensive, and it also drives massive textile waste and unsustainable production practices. Fast fashion production also pollutes waterways, relies heavily on toxic chemicals, and depletes natural resources. These practices disproportionately harm the health and livelihoods of local communities by threatening access to clean water, food, and safe living conditions. Stop Uyghur Genocide submitted its evidence to the UK's Financial Conduct Authority, urging it to consider the findings given Shein's potential listing on the London Stock Exchange. The group argued that allowing Shein to go public in the U.K. would endanger the country's commitments to human rights and ethical financial practices, per Leigh Day. "Shein is not simply turning a blind eye — I believe it is profiting from a system built on the forced labor of persecuted people," Rahima Mahmut, executive director of Stop Uyghur Genocide, said in a statement, per Leigh Day. "The Financial Conduct Authority must take this evidence seriously." Meanwhile, there are growing efforts around the globe to regulate fast fashion through legislation and industry-led initiatives, but enforcement can be inconsistent. While international law catches up, you can make a difference by breaking up with fast fashion. While it can seem like you are saving money while shopping fast fashion, experts estimate that you can save $200 or more a year by investing in fewer, higher-quality sustainable pieces that last longer. If sustainable brands are out of your price range, secondhand shopping is a great alternative. Thrifting at local shops or shopping resale sites like ThredUp can save you money while also helping to lessen the environmental and social impact of clothing production. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Politico
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
A showdown over Harvard's China ties
With help from John Sakellariadis, Maggie Miller, Nahal Toosi and Daniel Lippman Subscribe here | Email Robbie | Email Eric Programming note: We'll be off this Monday but will be back in your inboxes on Tuesday. The Trump administration is targeting Harvard University's China ties in what may be the opening shot in a wider administration effort to compel U.S. schools to sever their relations with Chinese entities — or else. The Department of Homeland Security provided a number of reasons for terminating Harvard's right to enroll foreign students Thursday, including allegations of pervasive antisemitism and race discrimination. But China featured prominently in the rationale. The agency alleged that the school had relationships with a Xinjiang-based paramilitary force and Chinese universities and individuals 'linked to China's defense-industrial base.' The statement referred to sources that included Harvard websites and academic journal articles that demonstrated the university's ties with those Chinese entities. Harvard convinced a federal judge Friday to temporarily block the DHS order. Harvard and many in the academic community see that as just an excuse to ramp up pressure on the school for defying the Trump administration's efforts to compel it to enact sweeping changes to admissions and hiring that the administration deems 'hostile to the American values and institutions.' 'This is clearly another attempt to find a reason to punish Harvard,' said ROSIE LEVINE, executive director of the US-China Education Trust, a nonprofit education advocacy group. 'There's a risk of lumping everything that has anything to do with the military in China under this very broad lens that puts very normal, nonsensitive research into the crosshairs.' Beijing feels the same way. DHS' move on Harvard is 'politicizing education cooperation,' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson MAO NING said today. Harvard didn't respond to a request for comment. The State Department didn't waste any time leaping on the directive. An internal State Department cable issued today instructed all consular sections 'effective immediately' to refuse visas for foreign students associated with Harvard. 'Consular sections should refer all inquiries from impacted students or visa holders to DHS for further information,' the cable read. DHS got help in justifying the move from Rep. JOHN MOOLENAAR (R-Mich.), chair of the House Select Committee on China. Moolenaar, along with Reps. TIM WALBERG (R-Mich.) and ELISE STEFANIK (R-N.Y.), raised 'serious national security and ethical concerns' about Harvard's China ties in a letter to the school Monday. DHS referenced that letter in its statement justifying the move Thursday. Moolenaar declined to comment to NatSec Daily, and neither Walberg nor Stefanik responded to our requests for comment. Moolenaar has made the targeting of U.S. universities with allegedly problematic ties to Chinese schools a key focus of the China committee. In January, he persuaded the University of Michigan to cut ties with Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Moolenaar and Walberg also want Duke University to shut down its China-based Duke Kunshan University campus, alleging it's 'a direct pipeline between U.S. innovation and China's military-industrial complex,' the lawmakers said in a letter to Duke last week. That echoes long standing bipartisan concerns — backed by the FBI — about the threat of Chinese theft of U.S. intellectual property. And there's likely more to come. Moolenaar sent questionnaires to six U.S. universities in March about their Chinese student population and their participation in advanced STEM programs. Moolenaar has declined to respond to requests about how he'll use that data. Within U.S. academic circles, there is concern that U.S. universities are now at risk of accusations of national security breaches due to the composition of their foreign student bodies or tangential ties to the Chinese military. 'For some schools that even just have Chinese language programs, it may be very easy to just cut any kind of ties with China that might bring you into the firing line of the Trump administration,' said a professor in a U.S. university with multiple cooperation programs with Chinese schools. POLITICO granted them anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. The Inbox BACK TO REALPOLITIK: It's not your father's Republican party. Vice President JD VANCE today said the Trump administration was undertaking a paradigm shift in America's approach to the rest of the world during a commencement address to graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy. 'We had a long experiment in our foreign policy that traded national defense and the maintenance of our alliances for nation-building and meddling in foreign countries' affairs, even when those foreign countries had very little to do with core American interests,' Vance said in his speech. 'What we are seeing from President [DONALD] TRUMP is a generational shift in policy.' 'No more undefined missions, no more open-ended conflicts,' he added. 'We're returning to a strategy grounded in realism and protecting our core national interests.' The speech offered the latest sign of how the Republican party is shifting in the Trump administration from its roots in recent decades of hawkish neoconservatism to a more realist approach. That revamp is being championed both by Vance and other top Trump officials including the Pentagon's ELBRIDGE COLBY. (Though there are still internal tussles within the administration between different foreign policy factions of the GOP.) TRUMP'S NEW SYRIA ENVOY: Trump today tapped his ambassador to Turkey, THOMAS BARRACK, to take up a second job as the new U.S. special envoy for Syria. Earlier this month, Trump announced he would lift U.S. sanctions on Syria to give the new interim government a chance at rebuilding after years of civil war and the toppling of BASHAR ASSAD's government in December. But that government is in a precarious spot — grappling with a wrecked and war-torn economy, the perennial threat of an ISIS resurgence and risk of disintegrating as factions around the country vie for influence. Secretary of State MARCO RUBIO warned in Senate testimony this week that Syria could be weeks or months from 'collapse and a full-scale civil war of epic proportions.' On the decision to lift U.S. sanctions, Rubio said: 'If we engage them, it may work out, it may not work out. If we do not engage them, it was guaranteed to not work out.' (ANOTHER) SOUTH CHINA SEA SPAT: Another week, another round of Chinese naval intimidation in the South China Sea. This time China Coast Guard vessels targeted Philippines' ships with water cannon blasts that led to a minor collision with one of those boats, prompting the U.S. to sharply rebuke Beijing's antics over disputed islands in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims as its own. 'The China Coast Guard's aggressive actions against a lawful civilian mission near Sandy Cay recklessly endangered lives and threaten regional stability,' said U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MARYKAY L. CARLSONin an X post. Mao, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson shot back: 'The U.S. should refrain from using the Philippines to create trouble in the South China Sea and stop undermining peace and tranquility in the South China Sea.' DRINKS WITH NATSEC DAILY: At the end of every long, hard week, we like to highlight how a prominent member of the national security scene prefers to unwind with a drink. Today, we're featuring CRAIG SINGLETON, senior China fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a veteran of national security postings in various foreign locales. For Craig, an end-week wind-down from wrestling with Beijing's national security challenges to the U.S. makes location as important as libation. 'When work revolves around great power competition, I tend to favor quiet over crowded — and strong over sweet. That's why I slip away to Queen's English in Columbia Heights,' Craig tells us. It turns out that items on the Queen's English drinks menu can render swoon-worthy jaunts down memory lane that conjure the sights, sounds and intrigue of Asian postings past. 'Their cocktails draw from the region I spend my days studying, with flavors like toasted rice, citrus leaf, black sesame and pei pa koa (an herbal Chinese cough syrup),' Craig explains. He adds: 'The occasional splash of baijiu (白酒 – a colorless traditional Chinese liquor) reminds me that Asia's complexity isn't just strategic — it's also delicious. It's the rare place where geopolitics and good taste actually mix well.' Cheers and 干杯! IT'S FRIDAY! WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at rgramer@ and ebazail@ and follow Robbie and Eric on X @RobbieGramer and @ebazaileimil. While you're at it, follow the rest of POLITICO's global security team: @dave_brown24, @HeidiVogt, @jessicameyers, @RosiePerper, @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @ak_mack, @felschwartz, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @reporterjoe, @JackDetsch, @samuelskove, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130 and @delizanickel Keystrokes RUSSIA'S CYBER ASSAULTS: More than three years after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, Kyiv is facing an increasing barrage of cyberattacks, though tactics and targets have changed, as our own Maggie Miller writes in. According to a report out today from Ukraine's State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection, cyberattacks aimed at Ukrainian organizations nearly doubled in 2024 compared with 2022. Unsurprisingly, most are attributed to Russia. However, the number of incidents affecting critical infrastructure sites, such as telecommunications and energy systems, was down to 59 in 2024 as compared with more than 1,000 in the first year of the war. The report attributes that drop to Ukraine and its allies stepping up cyber defense efforts, and also to Russia shifting to using cyberattacks for more intelligence operations. Ukrainian officials briefed the public on the report this morning and detailed how the nation is working to bolster its cyber efforts further, including through creating a national backup center for government data and establishing regional cybersecurity hubs outside of Kyiv. The Complex THE GOLDEN DOME NEEDS THE FROZEN NORTH: Trump left out a key detail this week when he outlined his plans for a massive missile and air defense shield over the continent: He can't build it without Canada. And it's not clear America's northern neighbor wants in, as our own Jack Detsch, Paul McLeary and Nick Taylor-Vaisey report. Canada would need to play a pivotal role in Trump's signature, potentially $500 billion effort to build the so-called Golden Dome, according to U.S. officials and experts, with Ottawa providing radars and airspace needed to track incoming missiles in the Arctic. But Canadian leaders appear to be tepid on the idea after being antagonized by Trump as the United States' '51st state' and the start of a grueling trade war. On the Hill EYE ON CHINA'S AI: The top members of the hawkish House China Committee are urging a Commerce Department AI office to monitor how well Beijing is harnessing the transformative tech — and watch for indicators it's set to surpass the West. 'There is a strong national security need for better understanding, predicting, and preparing for the PRC's AI progress,' Reps. Moolenaar and RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI (D-Ill.) write in a letter to Commerce Secretary HOWARD LUTNICK today. Under Moolenaar and Krishnamoorthi's plan, Commerce's new AI Safety Institute would use its scientific expertise and relationships with cutting-edge tech industries to continuously track China's AI capabilities. The two lawmakers argued that doing so is critical given the recent emergence of Chinese AI firm DeepSeek, which set off alarm bells in Washington when it released a surprisingly powerfully large language model in January. The Commerce Department did not reply to a request for comment on the letter. Transitions — JPMorganChase announced it launched the Center for Geopolitics, a new client advisory service led by DEREK CHOLLET, the former State Department counselor and former chief of staff to Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN. — HANNAH SUH has joined the Cohen Group consulting firm as chief of staff. Suh is a Biden administration alum who was previously senior adviser to the undersecretary of State for civilian security, democracy and human rights and a policy adviser on Indo-Pacific issues at the National Security Council. What to Read — Barak Ravid, Axios: U.S.-Iran nuclear talks show 'some progress,' no breakthrough in 5th round — Abby Sewell and Ellen Knickmeyer, AP: Trump's team is divided on how to tackle the president's vow to ease sanctions on Syria — Theresa Lou, World Politics Review: Trump is dealing with a very different North Korea than before — Huzeir Ezekiel Dzulhisham, The Diplomat: Could Trump's Deals in the Middle East Secure US Influence Against China? Tuesday Today — Atlantic Council, 9 a.m.: The Rt Hon Lord Mandelson on Britain in an enduring transatlantic relationship — Cato Institute, 12 p.m.: Tariffs, Emergencies, and Presidential Power — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2 p.m.: 2025 CSIS-CSDS Transatlantic Dialogue on the Indo-Pacific Thanks to our editors, Heidi Vogt and Emily Lussier, who send secret communist infiltrators to schools across the nation.
Fibre2Fashion
23-04-2025
- Business
- Fibre2Fashion
BASF divests Xinjiang units to Singapore's Verde Chemical
BASF has divested its shares in the joint venture companies, BASF Markor Chemical Manufacturing (Xinjiang) Co., Ltd. and Markor Meiou Chemical (Xinjiang) Co., Ltd. in Korla, China, to Verde Chemical Singapore Pte. Ltd. Following approval by the relevant authorities, the transaction was completed effective April 21, 2025. Both parties have agreed not to disclose financial details of the transaction. BASF has sold its stakes in two Xinjiang-based joint ventures to Verde Chemical Singapore Pte Ltd. The deal, completed on April 21, 2025, awaits no financial disclosure. Verde, backed by Verde Ventures SGP and minority partner GSS Energy, is setting up an IP and license centre in Singapore to advance tech-driven manufacturing in Southeast Asia. Verde Chemical Singapore Pte Ltd, a company registered in Singapore, is majority controlled by Verde Ventures SGP, also a Singapore registered company. The company is currently establishing an intellectual property and license center in Singapore to commercialize cutting edge technologies and with the support of minority shareholder GSS Energy Limited, leverage such technologies to support manufacturing in Southeast Asia. Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)
