Tesla received wide praises from Chinese netizens on social media after the company’s recent announcement of the opening of its showroom in Urumqi, Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, its first store in the region.
While the store opening marks the expansion of the US new energy vehicle (NEV) producer deeper into western China where its business has not been fully explored, its recent move has been targeted by fierce accusations from some US politicians and industry groups who are accustomed to slander China over their hyped “forced labor” and “genocide” claims related to Xinjiang.
On Tuesday, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the largest US Muslim advocacy organization, criticized the move, saying that Tesla was “supporting genocide,” US media reported.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations on its official Twitter account urged the company’s founder Elon Musk to close Tesla’s Xinjiang showroom.
Similar criticism came from a US trade group, the Alliance for American Manufacturing, and US senator Marco Rubio, according to media reports.
While certain US politicians and industry groups are sparing no efforts to slander China based on their stereotyped groundless accusations at their own expense, Tesla’s decision has gained wide support among Chinese netizens.
“Tesla, a different US company,” a netizen under the name FangxiaoM said.
Another netizen said that he is looking forward to seeing more Tesla stores opening in the region to take a tour of Xinjiang in a Tesla.
Tesla has currently built and opened seven supercharging stations and 36 supercharging piles to cooperate with six destination charging stations in Xinjiang, according to the company.
Tesla has witnessed a rapid development driven by China’s booming market, advanced production capability and policy support for NEVs as part of the country’s solemn pledge for carbon reduction.
With one third of Tesla’s global sales in 2020 in China, the country’s market has the fastest growth for the company and poses the brightest prospects.
Showroom of Tesla in Urumqi, Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Photo: Weibo account of Tesla
