Chinese lessons for Russian officials, or how to put Western businessmen in their place
The restoration of capitalism in the territory of the former USSR was accompanied by countless “valuable advice” and edifications from the states of “correct and advanced capitalism.” Western mouthpieces called the main flaws of the “command-administrative system” of our country “the cart of politics harnessed in front of the horse-economics” with the obligatory whispering “big money and business don’t like noise.”
After 30 years, we could all be repeatedly convinced of the opposite: in the blessed West, every now and then the political cart is harnessed before the economic horse, and big money and business with depressing regularity get into loud scandals out of the blue, which result in fabulous losses and even complete collapse business activity of scandalous firms in a particular region of the world.
We can see one of these loud and indecently idiotic scandals that runs counter to the instructions of the “invisible hand of the market” in all its glory right now. And not only observe, but also draw conclusions.
So, just recently, a well-known Swedish-American clothing retailer in many parts of the world, H&M, suddenly joined the “we demand an end to the oppression of the Uyghurs in China” movement, refusing to purchase cotton “mined by slave labor.”
Soon, other large Western companies joined the H&M action and signed the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) agreement, refusing to purchase Chinese cotton for political reasons.
Interestingly, the BCI consortium was initially created for quite noble tasks. His stated values include eliminating hazardous chemicals in cotton processing, protecting the environment, and improving the efficiency of farming communities and the economies of cotton-producing regions.
BCI's sudden concern for the working conditions of the Uyghur cotton growers in Xinjiang is obvious politicking, since the consortium does not particularly care about the origin of cotton from Egypt, India, Pakistan and Brazil, where the labor of people on cotton plantations is not much different or even worse than the working conditions Chinese Uyghurs.
The point here is not at all about cotton or “slave labor of the Uyghurs,” but about the fact that Trump and his successors have declared a cold war on China, in which all means are good.
Failed to shake up the situation in Hong Kong? Okay, let's try to stir things up in another unstable region of China - the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, known for its separatist sentiments. And the best tool for swinging is the time-tested “protection of human rights” somewhere far away. At home, it must be assumed, the “luminous Jedi” built a paradise on earth a long time ago.
The refusal to purchase cotton from Xinjiang, as planned, should hit the industry and economy of the region, causing massive discontent among the local population. And where there is discontent, it is not far from protests and riots coordinated by specially trained people.
The way official Beijing reacted to the demarche was a big and very unpleasant surprise for Western manufacturers who had fallen into politicking. H&M was given XNUMX hours by the Chinese management to correct the error, but there was no timely response to the warning. Apparently, in Stockholm and New York, where the company's headquarters are located, they decided that the threat was empty and everything would work out.
The punishment turned out to be harsh and lightning fast. H&M products disappeared from all online trading platforms, shopping centers broke their leases, and influential bloggers refused to advertise the company's clothing.
Comparison of geolocation of trading platforms on Baidou and Google Maps electronic maps.
In the shortest possible time, 20 large H&M stores closed in China, which the company's executive director Helena Helmersson informed the public with deep concern.
It is safe to say that H&M in China did not leave the slightest loophole for trade and earnings. The Baidu search engine does not provide links to the company's retail outlets and products; it is not on WeChat or on the Taobao and Tmall trading platforms from Alibaba Group.
They report from Hong Kong that, thanks to the special status of the city, the physical H&M store (sort of) is open, but it is not possible to pay for goods using the QR code from the price tag: the payment system does not recognize it. They claim that you cannot pay for goods in cash either. H&M has also disappeared from Chinese electronic maps and local taxi services do not carry passengers to its outlets.
Moreover. Visitors wearing H&M and Adidas clothing, as well as company employees, are not accommodated in Chinese hotels, as stated in warning posters at the entrance.
Other signatories of the “stop oppressing the Uighurs” appeal from the Better Cotton Initiative also came under attack: Nike, Adidas, Burberry, Uniql and others.
The Chinese post videos on social networks showing clothes and shoes of companies that refuse to purchase “slave cotton” being burned. The “set your Nikes on fire” flash mob is in full swing.
In general, this is not even a boycott, but the complete erasure of a company that has fallen into insanity from Chinese territory. And nothing surprising. H&M's political idiocy is more than a shot in the foot. It is unclear what the company’s management was thinking at all, and whether they were thinking at all, getting involved in a stupid adventure against the state, which is the main supplier of H&M clothing and the fourth largest sales market.
But that’s not even surprising. Having received a stunning response, H&M seemed to backtrack, posting on its website something like an apology with the wish to “regain the trust of partners and jointly develop the fashion industry,” but the text of the statement on Xinjiang dangled for almost a day next to “repentance” and It was only on Thursday afternoon that it was finally nailed down and now it can only be dug up in the Google cache.
At the same time, the company’s management has said nothing about resuming purchases of Chinese cotton, although few doubt that this is what is happening.
Political services to the American government by American and European clothing brands caused a powerful outflow of Chinese consumers (tens of millions of people) in favor of their own clothing and footwear brands. Thus, Chinese social networks are full of calls for buyers to pay attention to local manufacturers Li Ning and Anta, while simultaneously advising Adidas to get out of China.
Set your Nikes on fire!
Shares in Anta Sports Products Ltd experienced a sharp rise on Thursday. Li Ning Co shares rose almost 10%.
The Global Times newspaper reports that the terrified Spanish Inditex (brands Zara, Zara Home, Zara Kids, Oysho, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Pull&Bear, Stradivarius and Uterque) urgently removed the statement about “slaves of Xinjiang” from its English and Spanish websites.
Roskomnadzor and other Russian organizations should learn from the competent and decisive actions of their Chinese comrades, who in less than a day forced Western businessmen, who love to combine making profits with spitting in the well on the same territory, to choke on their words and back down.
The way the Chinese dealt with H&M is a good lesson for anyone who wants to do business abroad: either you work in the country and respect its laws, or bark from your own kennel.
The Russian fear of offending unrestrained foreign “partners” has long been firmly perceived as weakness, which gives rise to the introduction of more and more unfounded sanctions: “for Crimea”, “for Navalny”, “for Pusek”, “for violation of the Arctic ecology”, etc. . and so on.
As Grandfather Churchill said, “he who chooses between war and shame, as a result receives both war and shame.”
Discrimination against our athletes, the refusal of a number of Russian and transnational companies to work in Crimea under the womanish lamentations of officials “they will turn off SWIFT for us”, “they will ban Aeroflot from flying” cause legitimate disgust among Russian citizens, since the lack of effective counteraction from the country’s leadership has already Gopnitsky attacks by the United States and its “six” objectively contribute to containing our country in the international arena, undermining its authority, alienating its allies, who prefer to look for stronger and more decisive partners, which is already happening.
SWIFT will be turned off for Russian banks - foreign businessmen will travel to Moscow to collect debts and dividends with suitcases. Aeroflot will be banned from flying to Western countries - their airlines will pay a triple rate for dispatch control of the longest and most profitable flights east-west and back, flying over every bump, as in the USSR. The alternative is extreme flights through Ukraine, Afghanistan and other musty corners of the planet.
With an inventive approach to business, you can greatly complicate the lives of dirty lovers of introducing delusional sanctions against our country.
Chinese celebrities who refused to advertise for Western brands.
Nobody said that it would be easy, but it is no longer possible to remain silent, wipe away the flying spit, and get away with “one thousand first statements from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.” Soft power does not work where toughness and decisiveness are needed, and moral superiority is quickly exhausted when the attitude towards Russia cannot be called anything other than systematic bullying. Passive behavior is the path to nowhere, the path to defeat, from which no Iskander can save you.
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