The Wall Street Journal

Shein’s Lack of Answers on China Forced-Labor Concerns Angers U.K. Lawmakers

Bargain clothing site seeking a London listing declines to shed light on whether its clothing contains cotton from Xinjiang

Workers last June at a textile factory in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou that supplies clothing to Shein.
Workers last June at a textile factory in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou that supplies clothing to Shein. Photo: Jade Gao/AFP/Getty Images

A U.K. parliamentary committee on Tuesday grilled representatives of China-founded bargain site Shein over the sourcing of its cotton, and declared severe dissatisfaction with Shein’s lack of answers.

The questioning dominated a hearing on the labor practices of Shein and its rival, Temu, both of which have come under criticism in the West for allegedly using forced labor in their supply chains as well as inadequately protecting workers’ rights in China. 

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