Uniqlo is facing an online backlash in China after the boss of its parent company said the Japanese clothing retailer does not source cotton from Xinjiang. Fast Retailing's chief executive Tadashi Yanai said Uniqlo was "not using" cotton from the western Chinese province in a BBC interview this week.

The boss of the company behind global fashion chain Uniqlo has told the BBC that the Japanese firm does not use cotton from the Xinjiang region of China in its products. It is the first time Fast Retailing's chief executive Tadashi Yanai has directly addressed the contentious issue.

Uniqlo is facing calls for a consumer boycott in China after the company's boss said the Japanese clothing retailer does not source cotton from Xinjiang amid allegations of forced labour in the region.

A Chinese government spokesperson took a softer stance on the hot-button issue, and said businesses that source and manufacture in China "should not be swayed by political pressure."

The boss of the company behind global fashion chain Uniqlo has told the BBC that the Japanese firm does not use cotton from the Xinjiang region of China in its products. It is the first time Fast Retailing's chief executive Tadashi Yanai has directly addressed the contentious issue.

By Eduardo Baptista and Casey Hall BEIJING (Reuters) -Casual wear giant Uniqlo is facing a storm of online criticism in China after a BBC report quoted the chief executive of its owner as saying the company does not source cotton from the far western region of Xinjiang.