Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has criticized Intel for “self-censoring” after reports emerged that the company deleted references about China’s Xinjiang region from an open letter to suppliers posted on its website. The letter, originally published in December 2021, asked suppliers not to source goods, services, or labor from Xinjiang, signaling concerns over potential forced labor abuses against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the area. Due to backlash on Chinese social media, the U.S. chipmaker posted an apology on its WeChat and Weibo accounts on Dec. 23, 2021. The open letter was later modified and now includes a generic prohibition of using forced labor in the supply chains, with no specific mention of Xinjiang, as reported by the Wall Street Journal on Jan. 10. Rubio released a statement on Jan. 11, saying that “instead of humiliating apologies and self-censorship, companies should move their supply chains to countries that do not …