Germany’s Volkswagen Group will continue to use its plant in China’s western Xinjiang region, after finding no evidence of human rights violations in its operations there, a senior company official said.
“Of course we are aware of the critical reports, we take this very seriously,” the head of VW’s China operations, Ralf Brandstätter, said about claims of systematic oppression of Muslim Uighurs in the western province, and of forced labour in car production.
“But we have no evidence of human rights violations at this plant. That has not changed after my visit,” he said.
Brandstätter travelled to the city of Ürümqi in mid-February to inspect the factory. “I did not find any contradictions,” he said, adding that VW would continue to monitor the situation.
However, options to take any action are limited because a subsidiary of the joint venture, not controlled by VW operates the plant with its Chinese partner SAIC, noted the German company’s external relations head, Thomas Steg.
The plant project in Ürümqi, which started in 2012, had catered to the high demand for cars in the region. The situation changed over time, said Steg, in part because the Chinese government’s policy in the autonomous Uighur region had changed, for example after a terrorist attack.
Brandstätter took over as China boss last summer, and at the beginning of this year said he would “not tolerate forced labour, not even with suppliers or recruitment agencies.”
Source: Ghana News Agency