U.S. chipmaker Intel has deleted references to Xinjiang from an annual letter to suppliers after the company faced a backlash in China for asking suppliers to avoid the sanctions-hit region.
Last month, Intel was slammed on Chinese social media for a letter to suppliers published on its website. The Dec. 23 letter said Intel had been "required to ensure that its supply chain does not use any labour or source goods or services from the Xinjiang region" following restrictions imposed by "multiple governments".
on Tuesday. The letter now reads that the company prohibits "any human trafficked or involuntary labour such as forced, debt bonded, prison, indentured, or slave labour throughout your extended supply chains."last month for the "trouble" it had caused, saying that its commitment to avoid supply chains from Xinjiang was an expression of compliance with U.S. law, rather than a statement of its position on the issue.
The United States has accused China of widespread human rights abuses in Xinjiang, home to the country's predominantly Muslim Uyghurs, including forced labour. Beijing has repeatedly denied the claims. “Intel’s cowardice is yet another predictable consequence of economic reliance on China,” Rubio said in a statement on Monday.