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Intel removes reference to Xinjiang in annual letter to suppliers after Chinese backlash
- US semiconductor giant Intel’s updated letter to suppliers posted on its website has deleted any mention of Xinjiang
- Intel faced a public relations crisis in China when the letter was published in December, as it threatened to entangle the firm in human rights issues
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Semiconductor giant Intel Corp has removed any mention of Xinjiang from its annual letter to suppliers, weeks after the US company caused an uproar in China for asking its partners not to use labour or products from the autonomous region in the northwest of the country.
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Intel last month faced a public relations crisis in the world’s second-largest economy and biggest semiconductor market because of that letter, which threatened to entangle the company in human rights issues in Xinjiang.
The letter, which was widely covered by local and international media on December 22, said Intel was “required to ensure that its supply chain does not use any labour, or source goods or services, from the Xinjiang region”. It cited several compliance codes.
The two paragraphs which referred to Xinjiang in that letter have been deleted from an updated version found on Intel’s website. News of the change was first reported by The Wall Street Journal on Monday.
Responding to a request for comment on Tuesday, Santa Clara, California-based Intel reiterated the same message it released weeks ago. “We will continue to ensure that our global sourcing complies with applicable laws and regulations in the US and in other jurisdictions where we operate,” the statement said.
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The Chinese government has not yet made any official comment regarding Intel’s letter.
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