Chinese netizens vexed at Yui Aragaki's endorsement of H&M

中國網友因新垣結衣支持H＆M而感到困惑

Chinese netizens want to 'divorce' Yui Aragaki after she becomes H&M spokesmodel


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Chinese netizens were angered and conflicted when H&M's official website in Japan announced Tuesday (April 20) that Japanese actress Aragaki Yui would officially endorse the brand.

Last month, the Swedish clothing retailer faced a severe backlash in China after the People’s Liberation Army and Communist Youth League posted a statement on Weibo issued by Sweden's H&M Group last September. The statement read that H&M was "deeply concerned" about reports of "ethnoreligious minorities" being forced into labor in China's Xinjiang and that it would cease purchasing cotton from the region.

Amid the furor over H&M's stance on Xinjiang, the company shuttered 20 of its 500 stores in China. On March 31, H&M CEO Helena Helmersson stressed the firm's long-term commitment to the country and pledged that it would try and regain “the trust and confidence of our customers, colleagues, and business partners in China.”

In Japan, Aragaki has been named the "most desired female celebrity face" in the Oricon poll several times. She is also one of the most popular Japanese actresses in China, with many affectionately nicknaming her "Wife."

H&M announced Tuesday that Aragaki had been appointed as an ambassador for its Golden Week campaign, which is set to launch on April 27. When the news spread to China, it triggered mixed emotions among her fans, with comments such as "Do I want a wife or do I want Xinjiang?" and "divorce" common.

On the Chinese social media sites Douban and Weibo, a post titled, "The goddess that straight men kneel to has become the spokesmodel for a brand that humiliates China. Block her" received the most likes on the topic. Many netizens responded by commenting "heartbroken," "unfollowed," and "divorce wife."

However, many Chinese netizens feel that it does not matter whether Aragaki endorses the brand or not and that the only way to have a real impact is for consumers to boycott H&M products. One netizen felt the expectation that foreign celebrities would follow every whim of the Chinese public is naive: "Do you still expect stars from other countries to refuse to endorse a brand for the sake of China?"

"It is unreasonable and unrealistic to expect a Japanese celebrity to endorse China's domestic products," wrote another netizen.