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AliExpress bans Chinese sex doll seller after Reuters investigation

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AliExpress bans Chinese sex doll seller after Reuters investigation


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Reuters

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November 26, 2025

Alibaba‘s AliExpress said it has banned a China-based seller of childlike sex dolls from its marketplace after a Reuters examination of whether the sale of the products complied with European Union and US laws.

An influencer visits the AliExpress pop-up store in London, Britain, November 11, 2025 – REUTERS/Isabel Infantes

Reuters first alerted AliExpress to the listings on November 14, when the company said it would remove them as a precaution but that the dolls did not breach its policies because they were of rigid construction with no sexual function. However, in a subsequent statement to Reuters on November 25, AliExpress said it had “decided to permanently close down this seller because of their dishonesty on this serious matter.”

Reuters identified four listings of dolls resembling minors that were on sale in Europe and the US through AliExpress in the week after Paris prosecutors said both it and online retailer Shein were being investigated for disseminating images or representations of minors of a pornographic nature. In interviews, four lawyers said the images found by Reuters on AliExpress included features commonly associated with child sexualisation, including school uniforms and infantile expressions.

The products were offered by Guava Dolls, whose seller page on the AliExpress marketplace showed it as being based in China’s Shandong province. Guava Dolls did not respond to multiple requests for comment made via email and social media.

“We discovered the seller was dishonest in their communications with us. The seller repeatedly denied ever selling sex toys on any platform,” AliExpress said. AliExpress said the seller had admitted, after being confronted with screenshots sent by Reuters, that it accepted customised orders on other platforms and as a result had been permanently closed down.

AliExpress, Shein, and Temu face heightened regulatory obligations under Europe’s Digital Services Act (DSA) because of their designation as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs). A European Commission spokesperson told Reuters it was “carefully monitoring AliExpress’ compliance with the DSA.”

AliExpress told Reuters that in future it would further involve third parties to help monitor its platform. The French investigation was triggered by a consumer watchdog spotting childlike sex dolls on Shein’s marketplace.

AliExpress told Reuters after the probe was announced on November 4 that it had removed similar listings and that sellers who violated its policies would be penalised. Shein said it had sanctioned the sellers of the dolls, implemented a worldwide ban on sex dolls on its site and temporarily suspended its marketplace in France.

Under its rules, AliExpress says content must not be sexually explicit or harmful to minors, and its listing policies ban “any items depicting or suggestive of sex involving minors.” It had initially said that the products were “anime dolls” aimed at fans of Japanese animation rather than sex dolls. 

Guava Dolls’ account on X has been posting sexually explicit photos of the dolls since 2023, with links to AliExpress. AliExpress declined to comment on those links.

In some European countries, including France, Germany and Britain, selling or facilitating access to childlike suggestive dolls is deemed illegal, irrespective of their functionality. National consumer protection bodies often classify such items as akin to images of sexual abuse under child protection laws.

The lawyers shown the listings on AliExpress by Reuters said they breached national and EU rules. “The doll’s size, its very clear sexual characteristics and suggestive lingerie make it a sexual object rather than a toy,” said Christine Cerrada, a lawyer and legal adviser for French child protection group L’Enfance au Coeur. The dolls were listed for sale in EU countries including France, Spain and Italy, as well as the US and Britain.

Europe’s DSA requires online consumer marketplaces to undertake due diligence on products being sold on their platforms and to remove or block access if they become aware of illegal content.  L’Enfance au Coeur’s Cerrada said the dolls emphasised characteristics that would classify them as inappropriate and likely unlawful under the DSA, which was introduced in 2022 with the aim of preventing illegal and harmful activities online.

EU lawmakers debated whether the DSA “effectively prevents the sale of such illegal products” on November 12 and are due to vote on a resolution to strengthen online safety rules on November 26. 
The resolution is expected to call on the Commission and EU member states to step up checks on products entering the bloc, according to the European Parliament’s website.

US regulation of childlike sex dolls is governed by state laws. Congressional and state filings show Arizona, Utah, Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, Hawaii, Louisiana and Wisconsin are among the states enacting legislation targeting their sale, import, or possession.

© Thomson Reuters 2025 All rights reserved.



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Top Vietnamese, Chinese leaders hold talks on advancing cooperation

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Top Vietnamese, Chinese leaders hold talks on advancing cooperation



China and Vietnam are accelerating efforts to navigate bilateral trade towards a more balanced and sustainable course.

China will step up building a higher-level China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, Chinese President Xi Jinping said while holding talks with visiting Vietnamese President To Lam.

China and Vietnam are accelerating efforts to navigate bilateral trade towards a more balanced and sustainable course.
President Xi Jinping recently held talks with visiting Vietnamese President To Lam.
During the visit, Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung called for a restructuring of production, trade and supply chains alongside stronger investment cooperation.

Xi said both countries should work together in their modernisation drive, accelerate the alignment of development strategies and prioritise infrastructure connectivity.

While meeting Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao during the state visit, Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung called for a restructuring of production, trade and supply chains alongside stronger investment cooperation.

Wang said both sides should focus on implementing the high-level common perceptions, including raising bilateral trade turnover to $500 billion in future.

Hung urged China to expand imports of Vietnamese goods, broaden the list of products eligible for tariff preferences and further open its market. He also called for the mutual recognition of quarantine results for agro-forestry-fishery products, facilitation of Vietnamese exports via cross-border e-commerce, and expansion of Vietnam’s trade promotion offices across Chinese localities, according to a Vietnamese news agency.

China will continue to support Vietnam in setting up additional trade promotion offices, following those already established in Chongqing, Hangzhou and Haikou, Wang responded.

China also expressed readiness to support Vietnam’s stronger exports through cross-border e-commerce, encouraging greater visibility of the Vietnam National Pavilion on Chinese e-commerce platforms beyond JD.com to better promote Vietnamese products to Chinese consumers.

China has consistently been Vietnam’s largest trading partner and second-largest export market, while Vietnam continues to be China’s biggest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)



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Hong Kong apparel imports stabilise after sharp dip last year

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Hong Kong apparel imports stabilise after sharp dip last year












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Burberry unveils High Summer 2026 lido-inspired campaign

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Burberry unveils High Summer 2026 lido-inspired campaign



Burberry presents the High Summer 2026 campaign: a film and portfolio of images capturing life at the lido, celebrating Britain’s culture of open-air pools that come alive with families, friends and neighbours every summer.

British actors Simone Ashley and Tom Blyth star alongside models Alva Claire, Babacar N’Doye and Sacha Quenby and a cast of synchronised swimmers and divers.

Burberry’s High Summer 2026 campaign captures Britain’s nostalgic lido culture through a sunlit film featuring Simone Ashley and Tom Blyth.
Blending heritage check with pastel tones, the collection spans swimwear, relaxed tailoring, raffia bags and lightweight layers, evoking effortless, poolside summer style.
Directed by Francis Plummer, the campaign reflects a warm, communal British summer mood.

The campaign film is directed by Francis Plummer and shot by photographer Ryan McGinley. The cameras move from loungers to diving boards, catching mid-air dives and friends stretched out in the hazy afternoon light. Before long, the best spots by the pool are claimed with a Burberry towel. Summer has begun. The film is underscored by the TONE remix of ‘Beating’ by Tirzah.

‘A lido holds a particular kind of nostalgia for the British. The moment the sun comes out, we make the most of the weather. We wanted to bring to life a warm summer’s day spent in and around the water’s edge with friends.’ said Daniel Lee Chief Creative Officer, Burberry.

Key styles

The High Summer 2026 collection features the Burberry Check in heritage-inspired sand beige and pastel shades of aubergine purple and cornflower blue.

The iconic Burberry Check bikini is the beach essential, alongside matching swimsuits and men’s swim shorts trimmed with check.

Poolside separates include tops, skirts and shirts cut from cotton voile, plus cover-up dresses woven with a tonal Burberry Check and deckchair-inspired stripes. Ruffled trims and ties at the neckline capture the floaty, effortless feel of the collection. Festival

tank tops in ribbed cotton jersey are trimmed with check straps, while looks are wrapped in lightweight wool silk scarves.

For men, collared shirts and shorts are tailored to relaxed lines and finished with fresh interpretations of the Burberry Check, from textural weaves to intricate embroidered designs. The co-ord set is crafted from lightweight cotton poplin printed with a playful seahorse pattern in honeysuckle pink.

The classic cotton piqué polo shirt comes in a spectrum of vivid and neutral colours. Burberry Check is subtly placed at the placket and trims the collar of T-shirts in soft cotton jersey.

Lightweight hooded jackets are ideal for cooler evenings and unexpected showers, the new-season designs woven in aubergine purple and cornflower blue check.

In shoes, the new Knight Runner sneakers offer a streamlined, low-profile shape for summer. Sandals are elevated in the form of the whipstitched leather Baez and check-trimmed suede Urchin styles, while Burberry Check slides and Pavilion sandals are made for the beach.

Lightweight Margate bags are handcrafted in Madagascar from locally sourced raffia palm leaves, dyed in signature sand beige Burberry Check. Accessories include crocheted bucket hats and wraparound sunglasses, designed to shield from the sun.

Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (JP)



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