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| Intel apologizes to China for Xinjiang supplier statement |
US chip maker Intel has apologized to China after it urged suppliers not to buy products or workers from Xinjiang.
The company recently released its annual letter to suppliers. In the letter, he called on suppliers to ensure that their supply chain does not use workers, goods or services from Xinjiang. This was after several governments imposed restrictions.
The United States accuses China of committing gross human rights violations in Xinjiang, where the Uighur minority resides in the Muslim-majority country, including forced labor. Beijing has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Intel's letter was posted on the company's website in multiple languages, drew criticism from China's official and social media, and called for a boycott of it.
In a Chinese statement, the company said its commitment to bypass supply chains in Xinjiang is a sign of compliance with US law. This is not an opinion in this case.
"We apologize for the problems the ads have caused to our Chinese customers, partners, and the general public," she said. The company aims to become a reliable technology partner and accelerate joint development with China.
Other large companies are also under pressure because their goal is to comply with Xinjiang-related sanctions while continuing to operate in China.
Singer Wang Jiali has announced that he will no longer be an Intel brand ambassador on Weibo, similar to Twitter in China. Let us add that the national interest takes priority.
Intel has 10,000 employees in China
Many Weibo users have ridiculed the company's excuses to protect sales in China. The company, which has 10,000 employees in China, said in an apology that it respects the sensitivity of the issue in China.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the allegations of forced labor in Xinjiang were fabricated by anti-China forces in the United States and aimed at destabilizing China and impeding its development.
We have taken note of this statement and hope the relevant companies will respect the facts and reveal the good and the bad, said the foreign ministry spokesman at the daily press conference in Beijing.
Intel's activities in China include assembly and testing sites in Shanghai and Chengdu.
Swedish fashion retailer H&M reported in July that its sales in China in local currency fell 23% between March and May after raising human rights concerns in Xinjiang.