Report of Forced Labor Has Automakers on the Defensive

In a report that harkens back to the grim days of World War 2-era Germany, several automakers are accused of benefiting from forced labor.

An Australian think tank claims upwards of 80,000 Uighurs, a persecuted ethnic minority in northwest China, have been transported from state-run re-education and internment camps to the factories of Chinese suppliers. Among the companies said to benefit from the forced labor are Apple, Sony, Nike, Volkswagen, BMW, and General Motors.

The report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) details the recent “graduation” of many Uighurs from the camps. Some 1.5 million members of the Muslim minority are believed to be housed in camps in the remote Xinjiang region — facilities China claims are necessary to combat religious extremism and foster societal integration. Most outside observers call them indoctrination facilities.

“The ‘re-education’ campaign appears to be entering a new phase, as government officials now claim that all ‘trainees’ have ‘graduated.'” the report reads. “There is mounting evidence that many Uyghurs are now being forced to work in factories within Xinjiang. This report reveals that Chinese factories outside Xinjiang are also sourcing Uyghur workers under a revived, exploitative government-led labour transfer scheme. Some factories appear to be using Uyghur workers sent directly from ‘re-education camps.'”

ASPI claims that, since 2017, 80,000 or more Uyghur workers were sent from the camps to 27 factories — supplying 83 brands — under a state program called “Xinjiang Aid.”

While the government calls the practice “vocational training,” ASPI claims, “It is extremely difficult for Uyghurs to refuse or escape these work assignments, which are enmeshed with the apparatus of detention and political indoctrination both inside and outside of Xinjiang. In addition to constant surveillance, the threat of arbitrary detention hangs over minority citizens who refuse their government-sponsored work assignments.”

Local governments and brokers are reportedly paid a price per head to take on the new labor.

“In the first case study, a factory in eastern China that manufactures shoes for US company Nike is equipped with watchtowers, barbed-wire fences and police guard boxes.”

By all reports, a community college work placement this ain’t.

In addition to the automakers mentioned above, Mercedes-Benz, Geely Auto, MG, and Mitsubishi are listed as using suppliers “employing” Uyghur labor. Geely, BAIC Motor, and General Motors have ties to O-Film Technology CO. LTD, a manufacturer of camera modules and touchscreen components. Highbroad Advanced Material Co. LTD claims VW, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Jaguar Land Rover as customers for its backlight modules and LCD components.

China’s Foreign Ministry rejected the claims, calling the report a “smear” and a product of U.S.-led anti-China propaganda.

Volkswagen was quick to reject the claim that it benefits from forced labor. The automaker, which sold more than 3.1 million vehicles in the country in 2019, told media that none of the companies listed in the report is a direct supplier.

From German newspaper Deutsche Welle:

When asked about the concerns raised in the report, Volkswagen told news agencies that none of the listed companies is currently a direct supplier. In a statement, the German automaker said it holds “direct authority” in all areas of its business and “respects minorities, employee representation and social and labor standards.”

[Image: Xujun/Shutterstock]