(Yicai Global) Dec. 30 -- Chinese members of Sam’s Club have been queuing to cancel their membership after reports on social media claimed that the US members-only retailer has been taking products made in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region off its shelves, China Central Television reported yesterday.

The unit of US retail giant Walmart has withdrawn all products made in the northwestern region, Chinese netizens said on Dec. 22. And any searches for made-in-Xinjiang products on Sam’s Clubs' e-commerce sites come up blank.

“Sam’s Club removes Xinjiang products off shelves” and “consumers flood to Sam’s Club stores to cancel their membership” were the most searched-for hashtags on Chinese social media for days, and many videos and photos of the long queues outside the warehouses were posted.

Sam’s Club removed the products because of a shortage of stock, China Central Television said, citing the Arizona-based firm’s customer service staff. The move might also be a reaction to the US government's accusations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, something the Chinese government strongly denies.

A week has passed, but Sam’s Club and Walmart have not responded and made-in-Xinjiang products are still not available, the report said.

Sam’s Club has over four million subscribers in China, Walmart said on Nov. 22. It reported double-digit growth in sales and members in the third quarter from the same period last year. Sam’s Club runs 36 warehouses in 23 Chinese cities and reaches the rest of the country through e-commerce.

Editor: Kim Taylor