{"id":6185,"date":"2021-04-05T16:29:18","date_gmt":"2021-04-05T08:29:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=6185"},"modified":"2021-04-08T14:13:04","modified_gmt":"2021-04-08T06:13:04","slug":"hm-boycotted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/hm-boycotted\/","title":{"rendered":"H&M Boycotted In Vietnam For Allegedly Agreeing To Display Map With China\u2019s Nine-Dash Line"},"content":{"rendered":"

H&M faces backlash in Vietnam<\/h2>\n
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Having operated in Vietnam since 2017, H&M<\/strong> is now a well-known fashion brand in the country with branches in several cities including Hanoi, Saigon, Danang, and more.<\/p>\n

Over the past few days, however, the Swedish fashion retailer has found itself the center of a massive backlash in Vietnam after it reportedly edited its map to include China\u2019s nine-dash line <\/strong>– the mark that China uses on many maps to claim the Paracel and Spratly Islands and a large part of the disputed South China Sea as its own territories.<\/p>\n

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The move did not sit well with Vietnamese netizens<\/h3>\n
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\nVietnamese netizens are calling for the boycott of H&M in social media messages<\/em>
\nImage credit: Quy\u00ean Hr<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The incident began last Friday, 2nd April. According to Ng\u01b0\u1eddi Lao \u0110\u1ed9ng<\/em><\/a>, Chinese authorities, apparently notified by Chinese Internet users, issued an order to H&M to fix a reportedly \u201cproblematic map of China\u201d on its website, which the fashion retailer is said to have complied with.<\/p>\n

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\nThe nine-dash line around the South China Sea’s Paracel and Spratly Islands, as shown on a 1988 map<\/em>
\nImage credit: US CIA Perry-Casta\u00f1eda Map Collection: South China Sea\/Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

It was not specified what the so-called \u201cproblem\u201d was, but allegations circulating online have it that H&M will edit the map to display the nine-dash line<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

However, as of the time of writing, there is no map on H&M’s China website’s store directory page,<\/a> and no mention of the map dispute on H&M’s official China Weibo<\/a> and WeChat pages yet.<\/p>\n

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\nAn image calling for H&M to withdraw from Vietnam, saying that the Ho\u00e0ng Sa & Tr\u01b0\u1eddng Sa (Paracel and Spratly) islands belong to Vietnam
\nImage credit: SMTOWN – 1st Vietnamese Fanpage<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The allegations have resulted in massive outrage against H&M in Vietnam. The hashtag #boycottHM<\/a> is now trending on Vietnamese social media, calling for netizens to turn their backs on the fashion brand.<\/p>\n

In the past, the Vietnamese government has, on multiple occasions, cited historical records and international laws to state that the Paracel and Spratly Islands – known in Vietnamese as Ho\u00e0ng Sa and Tr\u01b0\u1eddng Sa respectively – belong to Vietnam. To many Vietnamese citizens, this is considered an absolute and unquestionable fact, and any claim otherwise is seen as disrespectful to the country\u2019s sovereignty.<\/p>\n

H&M has yet to make any official comment regarding the event. Back in March 2021, the Swedish retailer also came under fire in China due to a statement it made several months prior expressing concerns over forced labor in the Xinjiang region. In response, the company said it hoped to regain the trust of customers in China.<\/p>\n

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H&M boycotted in Vietnam<\/h3>\n
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Vietnamese citizens are very adamant about protecting their country\u2019s sovereignty, especially when it comes to the South China Sea dispute.<\/p>\n

Last year, several Chinese celebrities had also lost a huge number of Vietnamese fans after making statements supporting the nine-dash line.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll have to wait and see what H&M will do in the face of the backlash.<\/p>\n

For more stories, check out:<\/p>\n