China graft agency warns Walmart, Sam’s Club

China’s anti-graft agency on Friday accused US retail giant Walmart Inc and its Sam’s Club chain of “stupidity and shorted-sightedness” after social media users alleged that Sam’s Club had removed Xinjiang-sourced products from stores.

Last week, Sam’s Club came under fire in China after users of the Weibo social media platform shared screenshots allegedly showing that products from the far-western Chinese region of Xinjiang had been removed from the store’s online app.

The social media row erupted soon after US President Joe Biden signed into law on Dec. 23 legislation banning imports from Xinjiang over concern about forced labour there.

Neither Walmart nor Sam’s Club have made public statements on the matter, and Walmart did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.