WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Advisor said Tuesday that America could build strong solar energy supply networks while protecting human rights. He made this statement in response to criticisms about solar imports from China that are tied to forced labor.

Based on allegations of Muslim ethnic group mass detentions in China’s Xinjiang, the U.S. government issued warnings to business about risks associated with supply chains and investments.

Sullivan stated to reporters that the United States shouldn’t be forced to make a choice between human rights and solar energy at a White House briefing.

“The President fundamentally believes we can both stand up against forced labor and against slavery labor wherever it happens, even in Xinjiang,” Sullivan stated.

Biden said that he is “determined to create an outcome where we both get the solar development we need, and can stand unapologetically for our values.”

China’s actions during Xinjiang are being called a “genocide” in the United States, a label that Beijing denies.

Xinjiang produces about 45% all of the polysilicon required for solar module manufacturing.

A bill was approved by the U.S. Senate in August that goes beyond bans currently placed on Xinjiang cotton, Xinjiang tomatoes and certain solar products. This would ban imports to all regions.

The legislation was not passed by the House. Critics claim that it has been pushed back because the Biden administration did not prioritise its passage in order to achieve the president’s climate goals.