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Shein lawyer accused of ‘wilful ignorance’ over cotton linked to forced Uyghur labour

Fashion retailer’s representative claims she is not qualified to answer questions from MPs about supply chain

The online fashion seller Shein has refused to reassure British MPs that its products do not include cotton produced in the Xinjiang region of China, which has been linked to forced Uyghur labour, prompting one MP to accuse its representative of “wilful ignorance”. In testy exchanges before MPs on the business and trade committee, Yinan Zhu, the general counsel for Shein’s European arm, repeatedly said she was not qualified to answer questions about the fast-fashion retailer’s supply chain amid concerns from campaigners over forced labour. Yinan Zhu giving evidence to the business and trade select committee.However, she said the material, put together by the campaign group Stop Uyghur Genocide, was “not specifically relating to Shein”, which is headquartered in Singapore but founded in China where most of its products are made.

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