HANNOVER (dpa-AFX) – The state of Lower Saxony, as the second most important Volkswagen (VW) vz owner, has so far not conducted any separate investigations into the human rights situation around the controversial car factory in the Chinese region of Xinjiang. However, abuse is generally condemned “strongly”. This emerges from the answer to a parliamentary question by the Greens in the state parliament in Hanover.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs, with department head Bernd Althusmann (CDU), who sits on the group’s supervisory board together with Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD), explained that with a view to VW (Volkswagen (VW) vz) on the subject, “no corresponding activities and research had been initiated “. Before traveling to China, however, the human rights situation is “regularly part of the content preparation”. On Friday, the “Spiegel” and the “Braunschweiger Zeitung” also reported about it.
The Greens have criticized the state government’s stance on reports of oppression of Xinjiang’s Muslim Uyghur minority. She withdraws “on almost all questions, not knowing anything, not being responsible, not interfering as the owner in general business policy or in VW’s investment strategy in China,” it said.
Volkswagen operates a plant in Urumqi, northwest China, with the state-controlled joint venture partner SAIC. According to human rights organizations, the Uyghurs in the area are systematically oppressed, for example through targeted discrimination and internment in re-education camps. There has been a lot of criticism for VW wanting to hold on to its presence. IG Metall, which is also represented on the supervisory board, called for consideration to be given to giving up the location. The federal government has meanwhile put a number of guarantees for German companies in China to the test./jap/DP/ngu
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