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.

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.

German car giant Volkswagen said Wednesday it would sell its operations in China's Xinjiang region, where Beijing has been accused of widespread human rights abuses including forced labour.Rights campaigners have for years accused Beijing of a crackdown against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang,