Volkswagen to Sell Assembly Plant in Xinjiang Amid Mounting Pressure

While the company said the decision was made for economic reasons, the automaker’s presence in Xinjiang has become a source of ethical scrutiny over the years. Volkswagen said on Wednesday it would sell its operations in China’s far-western Xinjiang region, citing its need to maintain business competitiveness and emphasizing that the company is primarily geared toward manufacturing traditional gas-powered cars, a focus increasingly out of step with China’s rapid adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). Volkswagen had a joint venture assembly plant in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang—where the Chinese communist...