Left and Right Condemn Investor's 'Nobody Cares' Comments About China's Human Rights Abuses

A U.S. billionaire is under fire from all sides of the spectrum over his recent remarks about China's human rights abuses of Uighur Muslims.

On a recent episode of his podcast, investor Chamath Palihapitiya described the "very hard, ugly truth" that "nobody cares about what's happening to the Uyghurs" in China. The investor cited climate change and America's "decrepit health-care infrastructure" as things he cares about, and said he won't prioritize "a segment of a class of people in another country" until the U.S. "can take care of ourselves." Palihapitiya is the founder and CEO of Social Capital, and owns roughly 2% of the NBA's Golden State Warriors basketball franchise. He later moved to clarify the comments, emphasizing his belief that "human rights matter" in China and elsewhere. China's treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority in its Xinjiang region has come under bipartisan scrutiny; China is accused of detaining people in prison-style reeducation camps and forcing them to work and undergo sterilization procedures.

Voices across the spectrum highlighted Palihapitiya's business ties to China through the NBA and other investments. Some also accuse the NBA of hypocrisy for championing social justice in the U.S. while ignoring China's human rights abuses in a purported effort to protect business opportunities. Fox News (Right bias) highlighted how ESPN and other major news networks aired little or no coverage of Palihapitiya's remarks and criticism of them. The common ground seen in response to Palihapitiya reflects the bipartisan nature of efforts to curb China's human rights abuses and restrict companies from benefitting from forced labor in China.