Tesla faces criticism after announcing store opening in Xinjiang
Tesla has opened a new showroom in the capital of Xinjiang, a region at the heart of years-long campaign by Chinese authorities of repression and assimilation against the Uyghur people. This has attracted criticism from U.S. rights and trade groups, making it the latest foreign firm caught up in tensions related to the far-western Chinese region.
The company, headed by billionaire Elon Musk, opened the showroom in the city of Urumqi on New Year’s Eve. However, the move has been welcomed by some in China.
“Elon Musk must close Tesla’s Xinjiang showroom,” Council on American-Islamic Relations said on its official Twitter account, referring to Tesla’s founder.
One commenter welcomed Tesla’s support for “the development and construction of Xinjiang, unlike some other companies”, an apparent reference to multinationals seeking to reduce business links with Xinjiang over the rights abuses.
