SolarWorld accused of sending 'racist' anti-China holiday card

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SolarWorld is coming under fire by the Chinese American CEO of Grape Solar, Ocean Yuan, for a holiday card that SolarWorld sent to customers in Germany.

Grape Solar CEO Ocean Yuan on Tuesday urged U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley to disassociate themselves from German solar panel-maker SolarWorld AG over a Christmas card he calls “racist.”

Yuan, a Chinese-American, said he was “outraged and disgusted” over a Christmas card he claims was sent by SolarWorld to its German customers featuring a caricature of an Asian man wearing a Santa suit.

“This card … demeans and offends me as a Chinese American and everyone of Chinese descent,” Yuan said in a letter sent to Wyden and Merkley, both Oregon Democrats.

Both Wyden and Merkley have expressed support for an effort by SolarWorld’s Hillsboro-based U.S. division to seek a trade action against Chinese rivals. SolarWorld argues that China has been dumping low-cost, subsidized panels into the U.S. market.

Yuan — whose Eugene-based Grape Solar is a major distributor of solar panels made from Chinese components — said Merkley and Wyden should be “embarrassed and outraged by the blatantly racist card.”

In a response, SolarWorld indicated that the card was sent only to a "limited number" of recipients and was not reviewed by anyone at Hillsboro-based SolarWorld Industries America Inc.

"SolarWorld AG apologizes for any offense that may have been caused by a holiday card that was distributed by SolarWorld AG to a limited number of recipients in Europe," said Milan Nitzchke, a spokesman for SolarWorld AG said in a statement. "SolarWorld AG honors and respects the full diversity of the world’s population, including the people of China. SolarWorld Industries America Inc. did not approve, use or distribute the card in any way."

Wyden and Merkeley issued a joint statement Tuesday afternoon.

"We absolutely condemn the card SolarWorld AG sent to its European clients. There can be no debate that it is inappropriate and offensive and SolarWorld AG is right to apologize," the statement read. "The trade complaint filed by SolarWorld USA – which had no part in creating and distributing this card -- should be judged on its merits. To do otherwise would be unfair to the American workers losing their jobs because of unfair trade practices."

The text on the card, translated from German by Yuan, is strictly marketing material, telling customers that by choosing SolarWorld “they are on the right path.” There’s no mention of China.

But to Yuan, the accompanying image tells a different story.

“The mean spirited caricature of a Chinese person dressed in a Santa Claus outfit is an effort to diminish Chinese solar cell manufacturing while praising SolarWorld’s German products,” Yuan wrote. “Clearly, this is part of SolarWorld’s effort to attack China’s solar industry, which is competing with SolarWorld.”

In addition to Wyden and Merkley, Yuan also sent the letter to four members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Congress and to leaders of various civil rights and Asian-American organizations.

Yuan said he plans to distribute the image “widely” to minority communities.

“I would urge you to immediately disassociate yourself from SolarWorld’s efforts in view of SolarWorld’s outrageous and racist tactics,” Yuan told the senators.

@ErikSiemers | esiemers@bizjournals.com | 503.219.3418