In the midst of an imbroglio between the American and Chinese governments, Intel no longer seems to know on which foot to dance.
The situation of the Uighur population is at the origin of an upsurge in tensions between China and the United States. In mid-December, the latter adopted a law outright banning the importation of all products made in Xinjiang.
The question of the Uighurs
The objective of this law is to put pressure on the government of Beijing while the question of the Uighurs is more than ever debated. Province of northwest China, Xinjiang is populated by nearly 50% of Uighurs. A large part of this population has, however, been subjected to significant discrimination for almost twenty years.
According to some NGOs, more than a million Uighurs are even placed in internment camps. Although denied by Beijing, the forced labor of the Uighurs is said to be very widely developed there, and it is officially to show its disapproval that the American Parliament passed this law.
New US Laws
Logically, several American companies have been forced to review their supplies. In the case of Intel, it is a question of a letter sent to its main partners, so that “ its supply chain does not use labor or source goods or services from the Xinjiang region “.
The decision of the American company did not fail to react in China. The Guardian relays in particular the publication of Global Times, a tabloid run by the Communist Party which qualifies ” absurd “Intel’s decision, stressing that the American was only doing” bite the hand that feeds it ”While he made 26% of his income in China in 2020.
On social networks, and in particular Weibo, multiple comments came to criticize Intel’s letter, and singer Karry Wang has let it be known that he is abandoning his role as ambassador for the brand in China. He added a patriotic message to his decision: “ National interests are above everything. “
A ban that continues?
Intel quickly reacted to this pressure and apologized for implementing this directive. The American company stressed that its only objective was to comply with American laws. She also clarified that the ban on products from Xinjiang does not represent society’s point of view.
” We apologize for the distress caused to our esteemed Chinese customers, partners and the general public. Intel published in a widely circulated statement. This press release does not however conclude on the future of the ban implemented by Intel.
Through another statement that was sent to AFP, Intel has effectively assured that it intends to respect American laws: ” We will continue to ensure that our global sourcing complies with applicable laws and regulations in the United States and other jurisdictions in which we do business. “To be continued …
Sources: The Guardian
, TechPowerUp
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