US slams Tesla's showroom opening in Xinjiang, says pvt firms must oppose Chinese genocide

After Tesla announced the opening of a showroom in China, the White House urged private companies to oppose the human rights abuses and genocide by the Chinese government in Xinjiang. Last week, Tesla had announced that the electric automobile company will be opening its showroom in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, where activists and the internal community claim that around one million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities have been forcefully kept in detention camps. 

To this, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that private sector companies that fail to address forced labour and human rights abuses within their supply chains face “serious legal, reputational and customer risk” both internally and in the United States. While speaking at a press briefing, Psaki said that she cannot speak to the specific situation of one company. However, she went on to add that as a general matter, the White House believes that the private sector should oppose the People Republic of China’s human rights abuses and genocide in Xinjiang. 

"The international community, including the public and private sectors, cannot look the other way when it comes to what is taking place in Xinjiang," Psaki said, warning that companies failing to address forced labour in supply chains face serious legal, reputational and customer risk around the world.

Tesla criticised over Xinjiang showroom 

Since Tesla announced that it has started a business in China's north-western region of Xinjiang, US rights and trade groups have been criticising CEO Elon Musk for choosing Xinjiang as it has been a region where Chinese officials are often accused of abuses against Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities. Apart from the White House, a major Muslim civil liberties organisation in the US has also called on Musk to close the recently-opened showroom in Xinjiang. The group has stated that no American cooperation should be doing business in a region that is the focal point of a campaign of genocide targeting a religious and ethnic minority. 

"No American corporation should be doing business in a region that is the focal point of a campaign of genocide targeting a religious and ethnic minority," said Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. "Elon Musk and Tesla must close this new showroom and cease what amounts to economic support for genocide."

China is one of Tesla's biggest markets. The  US electric car maker opened its first factory outside America in Shanghai in 2019. Other foreign auto brands such as General Motors, Nissan Motor Co, and Volkswagen also have showrooms in the Xinjiang region.

Meanwhile, it is to mention that in recent times, the US has ramped up its campaign against China for repressing religious minorities in Xinjiang. Countries including the US, and the UK have also decided on a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics in a show of protest over China’s human rights abuses. Additionally, the US last year even signed a bill into law, banning all imports from Xinjiang due to concerns over the use of forced labour there. However, China has repeatedly denied all accusations of being engaged in abuses in Xinjiang. 

(Image: AP/Unsplash)