Volkswagen has always convincingly rejected the accusations of forced labor to which the workers of the Chinese factory located in Xinjiang which the German giant owns as part of the joint venture with the local SAIC. But it is clear that this continues to represent a important weight in terms of image for Volkswagen, which is why it seems that the company is interacting with its Chinese partner to understand which direction the joint venture should take in the future.
Joint venture in the balance?
“Volkswagen is currently in discussions with the uncontrolled joint venture SAIC-Volkswagen to understand the future direction of commercial activities in Xinjiang province – the words of a spokesperson reported by Reuters – They are being examined carefully different scenarios“. The fulcrum that sparked this discussion, as mentioned before, arose when some human rights groups documented abuses in Xinjiang against certain populations, including the Uyghur ethnic minority who appear to be subjected to forced labor in detention camps. Beijing has obviously denied such abuses, and Volkswagen has also said it has nothing to do with incidents of this type.
A new search appears
In recent days, however, an article in the German business newspaper Handelsblatt has mentioned the independent research conducted by Adrian Zenz, who allegedly found evidence of the use of forced labor in the construction of a test track in Turpanright in Xinjiang, operated by a subsidiary of the SAIC-Volkswagen JV.
Reviewable methods
The researcher allegedly found photos and statements online, including on the website of the engineering firm China Railway Engineering Corporation hired by Volkswagen and its Chinese partner SAIC in Xinjiang, indicating that Uighurs were forced to work in extreme conditions to build the test track. Not only that: Zenz himself added that he found images of workers from the same engineering company they were wearing military uniforms for training. To date, none of the potentially involved and previously mentioned companies have wanted to comment on the situation.
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