U.S. aircraft maker Boeing has cautioned the U.S. government not to mix the human rights dispute with the Chinese Communist Party with trade between the two countries. If Boeing is dragged into the fight and loses the Chinese market, it will be overtaken by its European rival, Airbus.
Boeing’s urgent appeal comes at a time when the human rights debate between Western democracies and the Chinese Communist Party has reached a fever pitch. Questions about cotton in Xinjiang involving forced labor have stirred a massive wave of nationalism in the Communist Party, and one by one, internationally known brand companies such as H&M, Nike and Adidas have been harshly reviled by the Chinese public and their stores and merchandise have been subjected to massive boycotts.
Dave Calhoun, Boeing’s chief executive, said Wednesday (March 31) at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Aviation Summit, “I think it’s true that [the Chinese Communist Party] is not a very good deal politically for this administration and the previous administration in the United States. Yet, we still need to trade with our biggest partner in the world – the Chinese Communist Party.”
Despite the multiple disputes between the two countries, Calhoun said, “I hope we can separate intellectual property, human rights, and other issues from trade and continue to encourage an environment of free trade between these two economic powers.”
Boeing and Europe’s Airbus, two competitors, sell about a quarter of their jetliners to China each year. China is now the world’s largest domestic travel market.
Calhoun also said Boeing cannot be involved in a bilateral dispute between the U.S. and China. We can’t afford to leave the Chinese market,” he said. Our competitors will take advantage of the opportunity to profit.”
The Xinjiang cotton incident has its roots in the long-standing persecution of Xinjiang’s Uighur and other ethnic minorities by the Chinese Communist authorities. There is much evidence that more than a million Uighurs are held in detention camps for political brainwashing and forced labor, and some Uighur women have revealed that they have been raped and forced to undergo birth control in the camps. Many Western countries have concluded that the persecution of Uighurs by Xinjiang authorities constitutes an act of genocide.
One element of forced labor is forced cotton picking, and international brands such as H&M have been hit by the Xinjiang cotton scandal because they announced last year that they would not use cotton from Xinjiang, where forced labor is suspected. This action by them has been the target of public outrage, guided by Chinese Communist Party officials.
The Chinese Communist Party has categorically denied the allegations and warned foreign companies not to interfere in the internal affairs of the Communist Party.
The Boeing 737 MAX airliner was grounded two years ago after several consecutive accidents. Last November, some countries have allowed the plane to resume flights. But the Chinese authorities have reservations about it. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said on Nov. 20 last year that three previously announced principles remain in effect: aircraft design changes must be approved for airworthiness; pilots must be adequately and effectively trained; and the conclusions of the investigations into the two accidents must be clear and the improvements effective.
Western analysts say China is likely to play the question of whether to grant Boeing permission to resume flights as a card to play against the United States at a time of tension between the United States and China.
However, domestic Chinese airlines such as China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and International Airlines all owned dozens of these aircraft before the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft were launched. As the outbreak improves and international civil aviation business gradually resumes, these airlines also hope to resume flights of these aircraft as soon as possible.
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