U.S. chip maker Intel apologised on Thursday to Chinese customers, partners and the public after a letter telling its suppliers not to source products or labour from the western region of Xinjiang caused a backlash.
Intel (INTC.O) recently published what it described as an annual letter to suppliers, dated December, that it had been "required to ensure that its supply chain does not use any labour or source goods or services from the Xinjiang region", following restrictions imposed by "multiple governments".
That letter, on the company's website and in several languages, sparked criticism in China from state and social media, with calls for a boycott.
In its Chinese-language statement on Thursday on its official WeChat and Weibo accounts, Intel said that its commitment to avoid supply chains from Xinjiang was an expression of compliance with U.S. law, rather than a statement of its position on the issue.
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