A seniorVolkswagenexecutivehasdefendedthecompany's decisiontocontinueoperating a carplantinXinjiang, a regionofChina, underfiercescrutinyduetothetreatmentoftheweakerethnicminoritythere.
ExceptforoneopensevenyearsagoinXinjiang, thisplanthasfounditselfinthecenterof a majorcontroversy, sharingthevastdesertlandscapewith a networkofdetentioncampsthatChinahasbuiltinrecentyears.
ButXinjiangisnotjustanyotherplaceonthereeducationcampsandworkcamps, howevermuchtheredeniedbyChinaraisedtoughquestionsfor a companyfoundedbytheNazisandonewhichreliedheavilyonforcedlaborduringthewar.
It's a seriousdecisionand I guessourhistoryherealsoinChina, hasproventhatforthebenefitoffpeopleandsociety, notonlyforthebenefitoffthecompany, wecanmutuallydevelopedonwhateverthereputationaldamagefromkeepingtheplant, Volkswagenknowsthatbe a costtoclosingittotheangerof a governmentonwhichitisnowsodependent, Johnsaid.
A seniorVolkswagenexecutivehasdefendedthecompany's decisiontocontinueoperating a carplantinXinjiang, a regionofChina, underfiercescrutinyduetothetreatmentoftheweakerethnicminoritythere.