WASHINGTON – Billionaire investor Chamath Palihapitiya has sparked controversy on social media after saying in a recent episode of his podcast that “no one cares” about ongoing human rights abuses in Uyghur in China.
In a 90-minute clip, Palihapitiya told fellow Jason Calacanis in their podcast “All-In” that he would be lying if he said he cared about the Uyghurs, a Muslim minority in the northwestern state of Xinjiang.
“Every time I say I care about Uyghurs, I’m lying if it doesn’t really matter. So, I’d rather not lie to you and tell you the truth, it’s not my priority, ”said Palihapitiya, a financier who owns 10% of the NBA team Golden State Warriors.
The team wrote in a statement on Twitter on Monday that Palihapitiya “does not speak on behalf of our franchise, and his views certainly do not reflect those of our organization.” The Golden State Warriors statement did not mention Uyghur or China.
Calacanis and Palihapitiya began talking about the Uyghurs when Calacanis praised the way President Joe Biden used foreign policy in China.
Biden officials described the harassment of Uyghurs and other Muslim minority members in the region as “full-time, government-sponsored work” and “mass arrests.” Biden officials also warn businesses with supply chains and investment obligations in Xinjiang that they could face legal consequences.
In July, that warning appeared as joint advice from the Department of Provinces, Treasury, Trade, Homeland Security and Labor, and the U.S. Office of Commerce. A direct line from the Xinjiang Supply Chain Business Advisory states that “businesses and individuals who do not deviate from Xinjiang’s supply chain, businesses, and / or investments may be at greater risk of violating US law.”
The Chinese government has previously denied any wrongdoing or human rights violations in Xinjiang.