He said any evidence of wrongdoing at the Xinjiang plant would be met with a “massive” response, according to the report.
Germany’s Economy Ministry has refused to provide VW with guarantees to cover new investments in China because of the alleged human rights violations, according to a Friday report in Der Spiegel magazine.
Der Spiegel quoted a ministry spokesperson as saying that it had “for human rights reasons” rejected four applications from a company.
The magazine added, without giving sources, that VW was the company in question.
A VW spokesperson confirmed that the company has submitted applications for investment guarantees, adding it had not yet received an official decision from the ministry.
China has repeatedly denied any mistreatment of Uyghurs, describing alleged detention camps as voluntary vocational training facilities.
VW has also faced pressure to address human rights concerns in Brazil, where public prosecutors have launched an investigation into alleged human rights violations linked to a cattle farm in the country.