VOC Commends Volkswagen for Closing Factory Linked to Forced Labor in China 

Research from the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC) analyzing leaked documents of Volkswagen’s controversial audit in Xinjiang played an important role in the German automaker’s decision to exit the region. The company’s November 27 announcement comes after mounting pressure and scrutiny of its operations in an area where the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been documented to engage in widespread human rights abuses against the Uyghur and other Turkic populations. Earlier this year, research conducted by VOC and published by German media led the German chemical producer BASF to withdraw from Xinjiang. 

VOC’s research has consistently exposed Volkswagen’s connections to forced labor in Xinjiang. A groundbreaking investigation by Dr. Adrian Zenz, VOC Senior Fellow and Director in China Studies, in February, revealed that the company’s test track in Turpan was built using transferred Uyghur laborers who were subjected to military drills, indoctrination, and invasive surveillance. Documents show that the SAIC-VW test track project actively participated in government work teams monitoring Uyghur families and facilitated the transfer of Uyghur laborers to state-arranged, mandatory workplaces during the peak of mass internments in 2017 and 2018. 

Additionally, VOC’s September analysis of the full, confidential audit of the Volkswagen factory in Xinjiang exposed significant flaws in the company’s December 2023 claims that its Xinjiang operations were free from forced labor concerns. The investigation revealed that the audit, conducted by a German firm in collaboration with a Chinese law firm with significant ties to the CCP, failed to meet international standards and employed methodologies that precluded honest assessment of working conditions. 

“The audit suffers serious methodological failures, including live-streamed worker interviews that eliminated any possibility of confidential reporting and posed significant risks to the workers,” Dr. Zenz said. “Our analysis showed that Volkswagen’s public statements about the audit were either false or misleading, and the Chinese law firm conducting it lacked proper accreditation for such evaluations.” 

“In Xinjiang, state-imposed forced labor permeates all aspects of life. No company can credibly claim to operate there without being complicit in the CCP’s systematic oppression of the Uyghur people,” Dr. Zenz added. 

The findings of VOC’s investigation contributed to growing pressure on Volkswagen, ultimately leading to the company’s decision to divest from its Xinjiang operations, ending its decade-long presence in the region. 

“This represents a significant victory for human rights and corporate accountability,” continued VOC’s Dr. Zenz. “When companies face clear evidence of their exposure to forced labor risks, they must choose between their principles and profits. Volkswagen’s exit demonstrates that sustained pressure from human rights organizations and the international community can successfully push back against the CCP’s attempts to normalize business operations in regions where it commits atrocities.” 

“Volkswagen is to be commended for changing course and taking this necessary step to ensure corporate responsibility in regions where human rights are systematically violated,” said Dr. Eric Patterson, VOC’s President and CEO. “Unfortunately, more work is needed by other corporations still working with the Chinese Communist Party and their business entities. VOC remains committed to leading efforts to expose forced labor in global supply chains and pushing for greater corporate accountability,” he added.  
 
“As new research from the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation shows, China’s production of tomatoes, red pepper pigment, chili peppers, paprika oleoresin, and stevia sweetener is more tainted by forced labor than previously known,” remarked Amb. Andrew Bremberg, VOC’s President Emeritus. “This raises grave concerns about the culpability of Western businesses and consumers.” 
 

For press inquiries, please contact Michal Harmata at  michal.harmata@victimsofcommunism.org or (202) 629-9500.