Volkswagen has long come under pressure over its factory in Urumqi in Xinjiang, a northwestern region where Beijing has been accused of human rights violations targeting Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities.
The German automaker earlier this year commissioned the Loening consultancy firm to carry out an independent audit into working conditions at the factory, a joint venture with Volkswagen's Chinese partner SAIC.
"We could not find any indications or evidence of forced labour among the employees," said Markus Loening, founder of the Berlin-based consultancy, in a statement on Volkswagen's website.
The consultancy said it had been able to "freely inspect" the factory and checked the contracts and salary payments of all 197 employees, as well as conducting 40 interviews.
"The employees are paid above average and have little to do," Loening said, noting that the plant was only used for "technical commissioning and deliveries to dealers in the region".
"We were unable to identify any special security measures," he added.
The consultancy however acknowledged that "the situation in China and Xinjiang and the challenges in collecting data for audits are well known".
Human rights groups have long accused Beijing of a widespread crackdown on minorities in Xinjiang, including through forced labour and detention camps.
Beijing denies allegations of abuse and insists its actions in Xinjiang have helped to combat extremism and enhance development.
Xinjiang is home to numerous factories that supply multinational companies, including big-name Western brands.
A study commissioned by a group of European Union lawmakers and released on Wednesday found that the forced labour of Uyghurs in China's apparel industry was continuing.
The report said 39 clothing brands known in Europe were at "high risk of sourcing apparel made by Uyghurs compelled to participate in state-imposed labour transfers".
Companies such as Zara, Next and Prada were using at least four Chinese manufacturers that relied on forced Uyghur labour, it said.
The report was released as EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel were on their way to Beijing for an EU-China summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
EU lawmakers denounce Uyghur forced labour for apparel
Brussels (AFP) Dec 6, 2023 -
The forced labour of Uyghurs in China is continuing, including in Chinese companies selling apparel to big-name brands in Europe, a study commissioned by a group of EU lawmakers said Wednesday.
"A substantial volume of apparel tainted by Uyghur forced labour is moving into the EU without restriction," said the study published by the left-leaning Socialists and Democrats grouping in the European Parliament.
It was carried out by the UK's Sheffield Hallam University and two Uyghur rights group, the Uyghur Centre for Democracy and Human Rights and Uyghur Rights Monitor.
The report was released as EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel were on their way to Beijing for an EU-China summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Their meeting was mainly focused on trade issues, though an EU official said the issue of human rights in China would also be raised.
The report, relying on public sources and mapping of supply chains, said 39 clothing brands known in Europe were at "high risk of sourcing apparel made by Uyghurs compelled to participate in state-imposed labour transfers".
Companies such as Zara, Next and Prada were using at least four Chinese manufacturers that relied on forced Uyghur labour, it said.
The number of at-risk European companies "indicates that EU policy is not protecting its consumers from buying products made with Uyghur forced labour," the study said.
China has, for more than a decade, imposed draconian measures in its northwestern region of Xinjiang, home to Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities.
The repression, which includes forced labour and "re-education camps", was being presented as an "anti-terrorism" campaign after a series of bloody attacks Chinese authorities have attributed to certain Uyghurs.
The report was initiated by Socialist MEP Raphael Glucksmann, who was sanctioned by China in 2021 for raising awareness of repression of the Uyghurs in the European Parliament two years earlier.
Von der Leyen said Tuesday she would press Xi to have China lift its sanctions against MEPs.
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