Earlier this year, German broadcaster ZDF and Spiegel magazine jointly reported that Xinjiang Markor staff were involved in state surveillance of Uyghurs in the region. The United States restricted imports from its parent Xinjiang Zhongtai Group in September citing business practices involving Uyghur minorities.

The Chinese government has faced numerous accusations of suppressing Uyghurs in the region, and Western companies with operations there have come under pressure to act.