Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Volkswagen China chief visits Xinjiang plant, sees no sign of forced labour

Volkswagen China chief visits Xinjiang plant, sees no sign of forced labour

Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) is contractually committed to its plant in Xinjiang until 2030, it said on Tuesday, after its China chief made the first visit by senior management to the plant in mid-February and said he saw no signs of forced labour.
Ralf Brandstaetter, who has headed the carmaker's China operations since the middle of last year, spent 1-1/2 days on Feb. 16-17 touring the facility with Volkswagen's compliance and external relations chief in China.

He spoke at length to seven workers individually - including Han Chinese, Uyghurs and Kazakhs - some through a translator of Volkswagen's choice and some in English, and held shorter discussions with other workers on his tour, which he said occurred without government supervision.

"I can talk to people and draw my conclusions. I can try and verify the facts [from joint venture partner SAIC], and that's what I did. I didn't find any contradictions," Brandstaetter said, adding it was his first visit but not his last.

Volkswagen has come under fire from human rights groups, politicians and German union IG Metall among others for co-owning a plant in the region, where rights groups have documented human rights abuses including mass forced labour in detention camps which the U.N. said could constitute crimes against humanity. China has strenuously denied any abuses in Xinjiang.

But the German carmaker is bound by contract with its joint venture partner SAIC (600104.SS) to keep the plant until 2030 and has no intention of pulling out, Volkswagen chief lobbyist Thomas Steg said on a call following Brandstaetter's visit.

The company, which said in 2012 it was approached by Beijing to build the plant, says it has never found evidence of forced labour among its workforce and that its presence is positive for the local population.

It denied that maintaining the plant was a condition imposed by Beijing to keep producing across China: "I have no knowledge of an ultimatum of any form," Steg said.

Still, Steg said the atmosphere in Xinjiang had shifted since talks on the plant began, noting a "significantly more repressive approach" after an anti-terrorism law was implemented in the region in 2015 following numerous deadly attacks which the government has blamed on militants from Xinjiang.

But with Volkswagen seeking new contractual partners worldwide, partly to diversify its business from the Chinese market, breaking the contract with SAIC was out of the question, he said.

Nonetheless, output has dropped as semiconductor shortages and coronavirus lockdowns shuttered industry in China. Staff numbers have fallen 65% since before the pandemic to around 240 workers, of which 17% are Uyghur.

The plant, which previously assembled the Santana, now only handles the final installation and quality check of vehicles built at other plants and prepares them for handover to dealers who sell them in the region, Brandstaetter said.

Planned output for this year was 10,000, a fraction of the 50,000 targeted when it first opened.

Around 190 workers had also undertaken retraining and qualification programmes at other SAIC plants across China.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Man Convicted of Fraud After Booking Over 120 Free Flights Posing as Flight Attendant
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Beata Thunberg Rebrands as Beata Ernman Amidst Sister's Activism Controversy
Hungarian Parliament Approves Citizenship Suspension Law
Prime Minister Orbán Criticizes EU's Ukraine Accession Plans
Hungarian Delicacies Introduced to Japanese Market
Hungary's Industrial Output Rises Amid Battery Sector Slump
President Sulyok Celebrates 15 Years of Hungarian Unity Efforts
×