US semiconductor giant Intel found itself in the midst of an imbroglio between Washington and Beijing, after a letter asking its suppliers to stop sourcing from China’s Xinjiang province, and for which it apologized Thursday.
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The conflict follows the adoption in the United States, in mid-December, of a law banning the importation of a wide range of products manufactured in Xinjiang (northwest China), in the name of the fight against the “forced labor” of the Uyghurs. Washington had, the same day, taken an arsenal of sanctions against Chinese companies, to limit or ban their exports to the United States. Intel had therefore, in the process, sent a letter to its suppliers asking them to avoid sourcing in the region in order to comply with the new rules.
But it sparked an outcry in China, and the chipmaker expressed regret on Thursday, in a statement posted on Weibo, the Chinese social media platform: “Our original intention was to ensure compliance with US laws (…) We apologize for the problems caused to our respected Chinese customers, our partners and the public”.
Import prohibited
Intel, however, in a statement sent to AFP, assured that it would 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 operate.”. President Joe Biden on Thursday ratified a law passed by Congress that bans the importation of products made in whole or in part in Xinjiang, unless companies are able to prove to customs officials that they do not. were not made with “forced labor”. “We believe the private sector and the international community should oppose China’s militarization of their markets to stifle support for human rights.”White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. “We also believe that American companies should never feel the need to apologize for standing up for basic human rights or for opposing repression.”, she added.