Activists urge Tesla to close new Xinjiang showroom

BEIJING (AP) — American activists are appealing to Tesla Inc. to close a new showroom in China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang, where officials are accused of abuses against mostly Muslim ethnic minorities. The appeals add to pressure on foreign companies to take positions on Xinjiang, Tibet, Taiwan and other politically charged issues. The ruling Communist Party pressures companies to adopt its positions in their advertising and on websites. It has attacked clothing and other brands that express concern about Xinjiang. Tesla on Friday announced the opening of its showroom in Urumqi, the Xinjiang capital. The Council on American-Islamic Relations called on Tesla to close the showroom and “cease what amounts to economic support for genocide.”