BEIJING (Reuters: U.S. Chipmaker Intel (NASDAQ) deleted references to Xinjiang (from an annual correspondence to suppliers) after facing backlash in China because it asked suppliers to stay out of the Sanctions-Affected Region.

Intel received a stern rebuke last month from Chinese social media following a published letter to suppliers. After restrictions imposed “multiple times”, the Dec. 23 letter stated that Intel was “required” to make sure its supply chain did not include any labor or source goods from the Xinjiang area.

According to a Reuters review on the same page Tuesday, this paragraph and any references to Xinjiang were removed from the letter. Now, the letter states that “any human trafficked and involuntary labor such as forced, debt-bonded, prison or indentured labour or slavery labour throughout your extended supplies chains” is prohibited by the company.

Intel didn’t immediately reply to our request for comment. Last month, Intel expressed its regret for the trouble it caused and said that its pledge to prevent supply chains coming from Xinjiang was an expression in compliance with U.S. Law rather than a declaration of its position.

Multinational corporations are under increasing pressure to adhere to Xinjiang trade sanctions and continue to do business in China.

China is being accused of widespread human rights violations in Xinjiang by the United States. The area houses China’s predominantly Muslim Uyghurs. Beijing repeatedly refuted the allegations.

U.S. criticised Intel for deleting any mention of Xinjiang from its annual letter to suppliers. This was reported first by Wall Street Journal. Senator Marco Rubio.

“Intel’s cowardice is yet another predictable consequence of economic reliance on China,” Rubio said in a statement on Monday.

“Instead of humiliating apologies and self-censorship, companies should move their supply chains to countries that do not use slave labour or commit genocide.”

Rubio was the fourth U.S. politician to introduce the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. This act calls for a ban from Xinjiang on all imports due to claims of forced labor. This law was signed by Joe Biden on Dec. 23.