A lawyer for Chinese fashion brand Shein was accused of disrespecting British members of parliament (MPs) after failing to answer questions about the origin of the company’s cotton products at a hearing on Tuesday.
She also declined to answer Byrne’s questions on whether Shein believes there’s forced labor in Xinjiang.
Zhu referred the committee to the “Code of Conduct” of Shein’s suppliers and offered to write to the committee members about any further questions they may have.
Zhu told the committee that third-party auditors of Shein’s suppliers are particularly vigilant on forced labor and child labor issues and declined to say if the company prohibits sourcing cotton from Xinjiang.
Zhu also declined to confirm reports that Shein is seeking to be listed on the London Stock Exchange and that Shein had sought permission from the China Securities Regulatory Commission to be listed in the UK or the United States.
“I’m not able to comment” on any questions related to the matter, Zhu said, adding that she’s not familiar with the details of the news report on seeking permission from Chinese authorities.
She told the committee that the company complies with all applicable laws and regulations in the countries where it operates.
Liberal Democrat MP Charlie Mayard said he found it “completely ridiculous” that the lawyer declined to state whether Shein is selling cotton products made in China.
“I find it very unhelpful and disrespectful that you’re here doing this,” he said.
Concluding the session, Byrne said the committee had been “pretty horrified by the lack of evidence” from Shein.
“You’ve given us almost zero confidence in the integrity of your supply chains. You can’t even tell us what your products are made from,” the MP said.
“You can’t tell us much about the conditions which workers have to work in, and the reluctance to answer basic questions is frankly bordered on contempt of the committee.”
Shein didn’t respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment by publication time.
During the same session, representatives from Stephen Heary, senior legal counsel at Temu, said the platform does not permit “sellers from the Xinjiang region.”
According to the latest U.S. report on human rights practices in China, the Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang continue to be put in extrajudicial internment camps, prisons, and other “re-education” training schemes.
Under U.S. law, all goods that come wholly or partly from Xinjiang or made by an entity on the UFLPA Entity List are presumed to be forced labor products and banned from entering the United States, with the onus on the importers to prove their shipments are not in violation of the act.
