Intel is latest US company to apologize to China while pushing social justice at home
The company said they 'deeply apologize' for previous message
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Intel has apologized for discouraging suppliers from doing business with China's Xinjiang region, after a letter published on its website sparked backlash from a Chinese state-run publication and social media users.
Citing government restrictions in multiple countries on products from the area, Intel said they were "required to ensure our supply chain does not use any labor or source goods or services from the Xinjiang region." Now the company is trying to play damage control to quell the ire of their Chinese customers.
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"We deeply apologize for the confusion caused to our respected Chinese customers, partners and the public," Intel said in a statement reported by The Wall Street Journal, in which they claimed that the previous letter had only been issued to be in compliance with American legal requirements.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INTC | INTEL CORP. | 24.05 | +0.40 | +1.69% |
The statement was issued around the same time the Senate passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which bans goods produced by slave labor in Xinjiang or other parts of China from entering the U.S. President Biden later signed the bill into law.
Bob Swan, chief executive officer of Intel Corp., poses for a photograph at the company's headquarter in Taipei, Taiwan, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019. (Ashley Pon/Bloomberg via Getty Images) (Ashley Pon/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Intel in the past has taken a strong position for social justice regarding domestic issues in the U.S., including a May 2020 memo from CEO Bob Swan declaring that black lives matter following the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor.
"While racism can look very different around the world, one thing that does not look different is that racism of any kind will not be tolerated here at Intel or in our communities," Swan said.
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Now, however, Intel joins a growing list of major firms cozying up to China, despite government officials taking action against human rights abuses against the Uyghur population in Xinjiang. Airbnb, Coca-Cola, and General Electric are among the sponsors of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. The NBA famously capitulated to China by speaking against then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey after he tweeted in support of protesters in Hong Kong.
Bob Swan, chief executive officer of Intel Corp., listens during a Bloomberg Studio 1.0 television interview in San Francisco on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images) (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Disney is often criticized for alleged self-censorship in its content to appease China. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a kiss scene in the Disney movie "Mulan" – which was filmed in the Xinjiang region of China – was cut under pressure from Chinese censors.
Most recently, Reuters reported that Amazon took down all reviews of Chinese President Xi Jinping's book on one of the company's sites following a less than perfect review.
FOX Business' Tyler Olson and Samuel Dorman contributed to this report.