Volkswagen-commissioned audit finds no signs of forced labor at plant in China’s Xinjiang region

BEIJING (AP) — An audit commissioned by Volkswagen has found no indication of forced labor at its plant in China’s Xinjiang region, where Western governments have accused the Chinese government of human rights violations against the Uyghur ethnic minority. The German automaker has come under fire for operating in Xinjiang, a remote western region that borders central Asia. The U.S. government has blocked imports from the region unless it can be proven that the products were not made with forced labor. The Volkswagen plant in Xinjiang is no longer assembling vehicles and functions only as a distribution hub. China launched a harsh crackdown in Xinjiang around 2017 in response to attacks by Uyghurs unhappy with treatment of their ethnic group.