US Senate Chair Criticizes Apple and Tesla for Ignoring China Human Rights and Environmental Issues

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[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Choi] A prominent U.S. lawmaker criticized Apple and Tesla for turning a blind eye to human rights and environmental issues in China.

On the 18th (local time), Mark Warner (Democrat, Virginia), chairman of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, said in an interview with Bloomberg, "It is disappointing that companies like Apple and Tesla promote ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management while ignoring human rights and environmental issues in China."

He pointed out, "Although China is a very large market, they turn a blind eye to the oppression of Hong Kong citizens and the Uyghur population in Xinjiang, as well as whether the electricity powering the electric vehicle batteries supplied to Tesla comes from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region."

Tesla's sales in China accounted for about 25% of its total revenue in the third quarter of this year. Apple also sources most of its components from China, with about 20% of its sales coming from China.

Chairman Warner reiterated that the U.S. must reduce its excessive dependence on Chinese supply chains. He warned that China's blockade of Taiwan would be an "economic disaster" and expressed concern that the fight with China would be "immensely different" from confronting Russia. He added, "If China begins to dominate advanced technology sectors, it will eventually control all areas."

Warner predicted that additional regulatory bills targeting China in advanced fields, including synthetic biology, renewable energy, and quantum computing, would be prepared. He also noted that some environmental activists only consider the usage phase of electric vehicles when measuring their impact, neglecting how electric vehicles are manufactured, and said, "Change must start from this point."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.