WASHINGTON, D.C – Recently, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and his colleagues sent a letter to Acting Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) Dev Jagadesan asking whether the DFC is unwittingly aiding the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) export of solar panels tainted with the forced labor of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups in Xinjiang.

“Ensuring that the United States is not complicit in enabling genocide and forced labor is a key priority for Congress,” the Senators wrote. “That is why the Senate unanimously passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in July and why the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a companion bill last year.” 

“In September, DFC notified Congress of its intent to provide up to $90 million to Avaada Sunrays Energy Private Limited to support the development of a new solar plant in India, along with $20 million to Orb Energy Private Limited, also in India, for the “development and construction of solar photovoltaic systems,” the Senators continued. “We are concerned that the provision of up to $110 million in American taxpayer money could be used to purchase products made with slave labor.”

Read the full text of the letter here.

###