BASF implicated in Uyghur rights abuses: reports

German chemical giant BASF is facing accusations of involvement in violating the rights of members of the mostly Muslim Uyghur minority in China, German media reported on Friday.

Staff at a joint venture in the northwestern Xinjiang region, Xinjiang Markor Chemical Industry, were alleged to have been involved in rights abuses, public broadcaster ZDF and news outlet Der Spiegel reported.

BASF said in a statement to AFP that it respected human rights in Xinjiang and elsewhere.

Markor staff were accused of taking part in visits to homes of Uyghur families in order to spy on them, the reports said.

Reports about the visits were sent to Chinese authorities in 2018 and 2019, which led to the incarceration of many Uyghurs, they said.

BASF manufactures chemicals through two joint ventures in Korla, in Xinjiang.

The group said it had not been aware of any reports made by Markor employees. It conducted audits in 2019, 2020 and 2023 of its joint ventures in Korla, which found no evidence of forced labour or other human rights violations.

Human rights groups have long accused Beijing of a widespread crackdown on minorities in Xinjiang, including through forced labour and detention camps.

Beijing denies allegations of abuse and insists its actions in Xinjiang have helped to combat extremism and enhance development.

BASF has in recent years been ramping up its presence in China, and is building a 10-billion-euro ($10.8 billion) chemical complex there.

It has in the past fiercely defended its investments there, with chief executive Martin Brudermueller in 2022 warning against "China-bashing" over German business's ties to the world's number two economy.

Xinjiang is home to numerous factories that supply multinational companies, including big-name Western brands.

Another German company, Volkswagen, faced accusations of using forced labour at its factory in Xinjiang. But the automaker said in December that an audit it had commissioned found no evidence of this.