When Two Activists Went Missing While Probing Ivanka Trump’s Shoe Factory Conditions

In 2017, a labor activist, conducting undercover investigations into labor abuses at a Chinese factory manufacturing Ivanka Trump shoes, was apprehended by the police. Two other activists involved in the investigation were reported missing, sparking widespread concerns. Li Qiang, the executive director of China Labor Watch, a New York-based advocacy group, revealed that contact had been lost with the three activists who were examining labor conditions at Huajian shoe factories. These factories produced shoes for the brand of the former first daughter, as reported by PEOPLE. Hua Haifeng was detained in Jiangxi province.

He was arrested under suspicion of illicitly employing surveillance equipment. Initially, two of the investigators were barred from leaving China, a practice Qiang noted as fairly common. Subsequently, all three men were believed to have been detained. Qiang said, “This never happened before in my 17 years of experience. This is the first time. The only reason we think this case is different is that this is Ivanka Trump’s factory.” He also called on then-President Donald Trump, Ivanka, and her brand to use their influence to push for the release of the detained activists.

According to NBC News, the men were collaborating with the nonprofit to release a report exposing low wages and long work hours. A preliminary report revealed that workers were compelled to work a minimum of 12.5 hours per day, six days a week, for a monthly salary equivalent to about $365. Furthermore, the report claimed that despite many employees working with oils and glues, there was no safety training provided. Haifeng and Li Zhao were conducting investigations into labor practices, while Su Heng was working covertly within the factory. A spokeswoman for Marc Fisher Footwear said, “We were unaware of the allegations."

Haifeng's wife, Deng, expressed her belief that her husband's work was beneficial and meaningful to society. She also said, “If he is sentenced for this, I can't accept it, I can't accept it's justice.” She also disclosed that at that time, she had not informed her two young children, who believed their father was working away from home. Deng said, “They always ask to video chat with their father. I have to say to them, 'Your father is very busy,' and tell them, 'He will talk to you when he's not busy.'” Furthermore, in January of that year, Liu Shiyuan, the spokesperson for the Huajian Group at the time, stated that the company manufactured 10,000 to 20,000 pairs of shoes annually for Ivanka's brand.

However, this wasn't the first instance where investigations into Huajian's production for Ivanka's brand had caused issues for Chinese individuals. In 2016, a group from the French news agency Agence France-Presse visited another Huajian factory in Dongguan, a city in southern China. The subsequent coverage included photos depicting workers on assembly lines and residing in dimly lit dormitories, which seemingly displeased the company's management, as per The Independent. Consequently, some workers involved in the reporting and photography were dismissed.