Germany's Volkswagen Group and its Chinese partner have sold a factory in the Xinjiang region of China, where accusations of forced labor dogged the facility for many years. Volkswagen and SAIC Motor agreed to sell the factory that is located in Urumqi in China's Xinjiang region to the Shanghai Motor Vehicle Inspection Center but did not disclose the sale's terms in an announcement made Wednesday.

The automaker has long been criticized by human rights activists for doing business in the territory, where China has repressed Muslim ethnic groups.

Bangkok — Volkswagen AG 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.