The Volkswagen Group denies knowledge of any collaboration between its Chinese joint ventures and vocational colleges integrated into the state's forced labor system in Xinjiang.
By Marcel Grzanna
New findings from the Xinjiang Police Files put pressure on Volkswagen. According to the reports, the company has close connections to universities recruiting students from the state's reeducation program. VW cites a hiring freeze in response.
By Marcel Grzanna
Products from Xinjiang have fallen into disrepute in the West. In response, Beijing is expanding the region into a massive free trade zone, where cross-border trade has already reached record levels this year. The US sanctions barely slow down the growth.
By Marcel Grzanna
The countdown is on for the release of an audit report on human rights standards at the Volkswagen factory in Xinjiang. Much is at stake for the corporation, the auditing firm and investors, particularly their credibility.
By Marcel Grzanna
Reports of forced labor are now also coming from China's coastal provinces: Uyghurs, but also North Koreans, are being forced to process fish and seafood for the European market. The transfer of these workers is part of a system researchers call the "camp-to-labor pipeline."
By Marcel Grzanna
The human rights organization ECCHR has filed complaints against VW, Mercedes-Benz and BMW with the German Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) for possible human rights violations in supply chains in the Chinese region of Xinjiang. Table.Media and Report Mainz have exclusive access to the three complaints.
By Caspar Dohmen
Protests against Volkswagen's involvement in Xinjiang are intensifying. During the annual general meeting, a pie is thrown towards the podium and an activist tears off her clothing from her upper body. The company responds with stubborn PR clichés. Whether this is enough to appease the critics is questionable.
By Marcel Grzanna
On Wednesday, Volkswagen's executive board will have to defend its China operations to shareholders: Loss of market leadership, the shortfall in the electric segment, and, above all, many unanswered questions about Chinese human rights violations in Xinjiang.
By Marcel Grzanna
Following Deka, the Union Investment fund company could also kick Volkswagen securities from its sustainability segment. At the annual general meeting in May, the Volkswagen board will in any case have to respond to allegations of forced labor along its Xinjiang supply chains. A Uyghur representative will personally step to the podium.
By Marcel Grzanna
How closely do German automakers actually look at their supply chains in China? An insider claims that the propagated diligence in inspections is a lie. A detailed study on forced labor in the supplier industry supports this thesis.
By Marcel Grzanna
