abusesaffiliationarrow-downarrow-leftarrow-rightarrow-upattack-typeburgerchevron-downchevron-leftchevron-rightchevron-upClock iconclosedeletedevelopment-povertydiscriminationdollardownloademailenvironmentexternal-linkfacebookfiltergenderglobegroupshealthC4067174-3DD9-4B9E-AD64-284FDAAE6338@1xinformation-outlineinformationinstagraminvestment-trade-globalisationissueslabourlanguagesShapeCombined Shapeline, chart, up, arrow, graphLinkedInlocationmap-pinminusnewsorganisationotheroverviewpluspreviewArtboard 185profilerefreshIconnewssearchsecurityPathStock downStock steadyStock uptagticktooltiptwitteruniversalityweb
Article

19 Apr 2019

Author:
Washington Post

China: Volkswagen CEO faces critique over statement

'How could Volkswagen's CEO not know about China's repression of Muslims?', 19 April 2019

A JOINT venture based in Shanghai, SAIC Volkswagen, is one of the oldest such automakers in China, with production based in several cities across the country, including in Xinjiang, home to ethnic Muslim Uighurs and other minorities in China’s far northwest. [...]

So it was shocking to hear the head of Volkswagen express ignorance the other day about...[a]n estimated million or more people have been confined in an archipelago of camps that China describes as vocational education facilities or boarding schools — but others, including eyewitnesses, say are concentration camps.

Asked by the BBC whether he is "proud to be associated" with Chinese repression in Xinjiang, Volkswagen chief executive Herbert Diess said, "No, but we are proud to create . . . we are absolutely proud to also create workplaces in that region, which we think is very useful." Pressed about China's maltreatment of the Uighurs, Mr. Diess added, "I can't judge this, sorry." Then, asked whether "you know about it," he said, "I don't know what you're referring to." [...]

This cannot be true. As the leader of a multinational corporation with factories spread across China, he must know of the atrocity unfolding in Xinjiang. [...]

After Mr. Diess spoke, Volkswagen said the company “is aware” of the plight of the Uighurs and has taken positive steps to address it. “For the whole Volkswagen Group, respecting human rights is one of the fundamental basic principles for all business relationships,” the spokesman said. [...]