China warns of retaliation over French law to curb fast fashion

BEIJING: China warned on Wednesday (Jul 22) of potential retaliation over a French law aimed at curbing the rise of fast fashion, slamming the regulation as "discriminatory" and in violation of trade principles.The bill, passed by France's parliament late last month and due to impose per-item fees from Sep 1, targets major Asian e-commerce platforms including Shein, Temu and AliExpress.The "ultra-fast fashion" companies are known for selling large volumes of lower-quality clothing at rock-bottom prices, also contributing to pollution from the textile industry, a major emitter of greenhouse gas.An unidentified spokesperson for Beijing's commerce ministry said the law, "under the guise of setting so-called 'environmental protection' and 'sustainability' standards, is in reality implementing