Republican Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse on Wednesday questioned the extent of Nike’s ties to China after the company allegedly lobbied against a bill designed to protect Uighur Muslims.
In a letter to CEO John Donahoe, obtained by the Washington Examiner, Sasse asked if the company’s supply line relies on forced Uighur labor in the Xinjiang province. Sasse explained that the Chinese communist government has “no regard for human dignity,” adding that its systematic assaults on the Uighur people put it at odds with Nike’s corporate values.
“I understand that Nike has publicly stated that it currently does not source products from Xinjiang,” Sasse wrote. “This seems at odds with your aggressive lobbying campaign. It would be beneficial for Americans to understand more about your company’s supply chain and the audits you have cited.”
Sasse added that “consumers believe in human rights and want to support businesses that share a fundamental respect for human dignity.” Sasse sent a similar letter to Disney CEO Robert Chapek this summer, calling the filming of Mulan in Xinjiang “appalling.”
Sasse’s letter came several days after the New York Times revealed that companies including Nike, Coca-Cola, and Apple are lobbying Congress to soften the language in the Uighur Rights Protection Act, which aims to crack down on human rights abuses against the religious minority. The bill in its current form bans imported goods made with forced labor in Xinjiang. It passed the House with a broad majority and is expected to do the same in the Senate.
Nike denied lobbying against the bill, saying instead that it had “constructive discussions” with members of Congress about its contents. Nike, as recently as 2019, has used Uighur workers from Xinjiang to make shoes, according to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Many other companies, such as Adidas, Calvin Klein, and Costco, are suspected of having ties to forced Uighur labor, a March report from the Congressional-Executive Commission on China found.
Many China critics this week singled out Nike for its involvement in the Uighur legislation. Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton on Twitter called the company’s business practices “disgusting” and hypocritical. Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio did the same, pointing to Nike advertisements praising former NFL star Colin Kaepernick for his racial justice activism.
