Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said Friday he supported H&M's committment to worker rights after the Swedish clothing giant became the target of a boycott campaign in China. H&M has been under fire in China after Chinese social media dug up an old statement in which the company said it would not source cotton from Xinjiang over alleged forced labour in the far west region. At least one million Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim minorities have been held in interment camps in the region, according to right groups, with authorities also accused of forcibly sterilising women and imposing forced labour. "I think it's very good that companies take responsibility for employee conditions around the world... and make sure that employees and workers are treated with respect," Lofven told a press conference, when asked about the boycott. He added that this is why a preliminary EU-China investment deal says that Beijing "should ratify important ILO (International Labour Organization) conventions". But he also stressed the importance of "balance" in the relation to China, saying "we want to have a good dialogue and a good exchange with China. China is an important country". Other foreign firms were targeted this week in China for their past statements on Xinjiang's cotton. Chinese celebrities and tech firms pulled partnerships with H&M, Nike, Adidas, Burberry and Calvin Klein. H&M was even erased from Chinese shopping apps. H&M China said Wednesday it "does not represent any political position" and remained committed to long-term investment in China. H&M makes more than five percent of its revenue in China, which is home to nearly 10 percent of its stores. The world's second largest clothing company declined to comment when contacted by AFP on Friday. The boycott came the same week as Western nations imposed sanctions on Chinese officials over Xinjiang, angering Beijing which hit back with its tit-for-tat measures on European individuals. Sweden and other EU nations summoned Chinese ambassadors on Tuesday over the spat. Swedish researcher Bjorn Jerden was among those sanctioned. Another point of contention in recent months has been the Swedish telecom authority's banning of Chinese giant Huawei's equipment from Sweden's 5G tender over national security concerns. map-jll/lth