Chinese company Anta Sports – the world’s third-largest sportswear company – is reportedly leaving the Better Cotton Initiative(BCI) so it can continue sourcing cotton from Xinjiang.
Japanese Company Asics also confirmed in a post that it too plans to continue sourcing cotton from Xinjiang
The news comes as fashion giants H&M and Nike face a consumer backlash in China after pledging not to source cotton from Xinjiang.
The decision by Anta Sports to leave the BCI over its withdrawal from Xingjian is a potential embarrassment to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the company is its official uniform supplier.