Senator Rubio asks Airbnb to remove properties in China’s Xinjiang region

Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Speaking during a Senate Foreign Relations hearing to consider US-Russia policy with testimony from Victoria Nuland, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs administration, at Capitol Hill, Tuesday, December 7, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo / Alex Brandon, Pool)

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UPDATE 8:21 AM Pacific Time – Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has called on Airbnb to cancel rental listings in China’s Xinjiang region due to the Uighur genocide taking place there. In a letter to Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, a Florida senator, the company has a listing of properties on land belonging to the Xinjiang Construction and Manufacturing Corps, or XPCC.

Rubio points out that Airbnb’s business directly benefits a Chinese government agency that runs concentration camps for Uyghurs. The senator added that the US must increase economic pressure on the Chinese Communist Party.

“There are large American corporations that are intelligently or unwittingly lobbying on behalf of the official articles and policy preferences of the Chinese Communist Party, and the reason is quite simple,” said Rubio. “And that’s them coming up to them and saying ‘if you want to continue to have access to our marketplace, if you want to continue to be able to sell things here… then we expect you to talk to us. [quote-on-quote] friends in America and make them back down. ‘”

Rubio also points out that XPCC is US sanctions imposed by 45th President Donald Trump. This prohibits US companies from doing business in Xinjiang. The senator added that Airbnb must comply with existing US sanctions against China.

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