Volkswagen and its joint venture partner in China sold a plant in the country that has previously brought increased scrutiny on the auto makers over human-rights concerns.VW and partner SAIC Motor have a joint company that operates a handful of production sites in China.

Volkswagen and Shanghai's SAIC Motor have agreed to sell a factory in China's far western Xinjiang region that drew criticism due to accusations by western governments of human rights violations. The companies also said Wednesday that they were extending their 40-year-old automaking joint venture until 2040,

Earlier this year, the U.S. blocked imports of several Porsche, Bentley, and Audi vehicles amid concerns that they contained a Chinese-made part that violated U.S. forced labor laws.