Germany denies Volkswagen China investment over human rights concerns

Germany’s Economy Ministry is declining to provide automaker Volkswagen with guarantees to cover new investments in China due to the concerns over human rights, Der Spiegel reported on Friday.

The magazine quoted a ministry spokesperson it is because of the “human rights reasons” that it rejected four applications from a company.

The magazine added noted it was talking about Volkswagen.

A Volkswagen spokesperson confirmed that the automaker has filed applications for investment guarantees, adding it was yet to receive an official decision from the ministry.

Germany’s Economy Ministry is yet to comment on the issue.

The automaker has a plant in China’s Xinjiang region, where western countries and human rights organizations say ethnic Uyghurs face systematic oppression and thus they have discouraged companies from dealing there. China denies any oppression of Uyghurs.