Shein hires foul-mouthed former EU budget chief

Shein has hired a controversial lobbyist who once described Chinese people as “slant-eyed.”

The Chinese fast fashion giant has appointed former EU budget commissioner Gunther Oettinger as a consultant to help it with EU policies.

The German political heavyweight came under fire in 2016 after making comments about Chinese businessmen to other industry leaders. He later apologised for using the phrase “Schlitzaugen”, meaning “slanted eyes”. He was also criticised for referring to the group as “nine men, one party and no democracy”.

He also joked that politicians would soon introduce a law making “gay marriage compulsory” in Germany. And in 2016 he said he would “shoot myself” if he married Frauke Petry, the leader of the right-wing Alternative for Germany party.

Shein is a Chinese company, but is now based in Singapore. It has come under fire for its supply chains, which it uses to produce ultra-cheap clothing for a Gen Z customer base.

At the time of his comments, Oettinger said: “I now realise that the words I used have created bad feelings and may have even hurt some people. That was not my intention and I would like to apologise.”

Scrutiny on Shein has increased ahead of a possible £50bn London stock market flotation. The EU is toughening its stance on fast fashion, with rules to crack down on wasteful clothing. Officials have argued that the garment sector is one of the least sustainable industries, with cheaply made clothes “designed to be disposable” and companies such as Shein encouraging “unnecessary overconsumption”.

Oettinger, who was European budget commissioner from 2017 to 2019, is therefore facing an uphill battle to defend Shein’s interests. Founded in 2012, Shein has exploded in popularity thanks to young, budget-conscious shoppers in more than 150 countries.

The company has gone to great lengths to win the city’s support, insisting on rigorous checks on suppliers to ensure workers are treated well and sustainable materials are used.

But last week, Shein admitted that an audit had uncovered two cases of child labor in its supply chain and said the suppliers involved had been temporarily suspended.

Retail guru and “queen of high street” Mary Portas and Stuart Trevor, co-founder of fashion brand All Saints, are among the big names calling for an IPO to be blocked.