By Hou Weili

Businesses are forced to stand up, for their very existence. German automaker Volkswagen said earlier this week that an independent audit it commissioned on its plant in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region found no signs of forced labor.

The false accusation of “forced labor” in Xinjiang is refuted in Western countries’ own way. And Volkswagen deserves applaud for defending its legitimate business operation and standing up against political coercion.

Carried by due diligence firm Loening, Human Rights & Responsible Business GmbH, the audit said employees in the SAIC-Volkswagen joint venture in Urumqi, capital city of Xinjiang, are paid above average and have a low work intensity. They are qualified workers and have been working for the company for up to 10 years, and overtime work is next to non-existent.

Unlike dramas and clamours created when pressure was put on the German automaker to prove the “innocence” of its supply chain, the answer drew little attention from the Western media. This unveils a truth – facts will not stop anti-forces smear campaign and ungrounded accusations against Xinjiang; “forced labor” is just a handy tool anti-China forces use to contain China. When they are proven wrong, they just ignore it.

By making a statement standing up for its legitimate business operation in China’s Xinjiang, Volkswagen is saying no to anti-China forces’ political manipulation on Xinjiang-related issues. This shows that there is rationality in the Western business circle. They know that they are those bearing the brunt of worsening China-Western relations.

Photo shows newly produced Santana vehicles at SAIC VOLKSWAGEN (Xinjiang) Automotive Co., Ltd. in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (File photo)

Rationality is working. The independent audit was a response of Global index provider MSC’s move of marking Volkswagen with a “red flag” in its social issue category in November 2022 due to allegations of forced labor in Xinjiang, prompting some investors to drop the stock from their portfolios. Analysts at Citi said that Volkswagen's findings could potentially reverse a significant part of its stock's underperformance in the wake of the rebuke.

Why are Western politicians obsessed with manipulating Xinjiang-related issues? The answer is that they, particularly those from the United States, are covering up their governance incompetence. Over recent years, many Western countries have been plagued by skyrocketing inflation, intractable refugee crisis and rampant populism, shaking the foundation for social stability. By contrast, China has secured miracles of sustainable economic growth and sustainable social stability and exhibited strong competence in handling social crises as were shown in the 2008 global financial turmoil and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Facing this, some Western countries do not reflect on their own problems and find cures to their social problems. Rather, they blamed China for their own institutional failure, and spun myriads of lies to discredit China and contain China. As is shown in the case of Volkswagen, lies will eventually hold no water.

It’s high time for some Western politicians to assume their due responsibilities and manage their countries’ relations with China in a constructive manner. Do not drown legitimate businesses and the wellbeing of the people down into the whirl of political tussles.

More businesses particularly those in the Europe should wake up like Volkswagen. China is European Union’s biggest trading partner. The Chinese market presents huge investment potential for businesses in Europe and those who are willing to do business with China.

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