LUDWIGSHAFEN (dpa-AFX) - Following accusations against a partner company in China and a letter from international politicians, the chemical company BASF has emphasized that it will ensure that its business partners respect human rights. At the same time, the DAX-listed company announced that it would seek talks with critics.

"BASF respects human rights as the basis of its social responsibility in its business activities and relationships," the DAX-listed company announced on Wednesday. "Our Code of Conduct applies at all our sites worldwide, including in China." The company also assumes responsibility for respecting human rights in its relationships with business partners along the value chain.

Previously, there had been allegations that employees of a BASF partner company in the Chinese region of Xinjiang had been involved in a state campaign of control and repression against the Muslim Uyghur minority. They are said to have spied on Uyghurs, as reported by "ZDF" and the news magazine "Spiegel". According to Spiegel and ZDF, 30 international parliamentarians, including MEP Reinhard Bütikofer (Greens), recently sent a letter to BASF CEO Martin Brudermüller calling for the company to withdraw from Xinjiang.

In response to the open letter, BASF stated: "We take the letter very seriously, will approach the signatories promptly and make them an offer of talks."

According to BASF, it has been operating two joint ventures for the production of chemicals in Xinjiang since 2016. A total of around 120 people are employed in the two joint ventures in Korla, including around 40 at BASF Markor Chemical Manufacturing (Xinjiang) Company Limited, which is majority-owned by BASF.

BASF regularly reviews labor relations at the joint ventures' sites in Korla, it added. Following earlier reviews, an internal review of the joint venture operations was carried out at the beginning of 2023, the company emphasized. "In addition, we are in concrete discussions with a renowned auditing firm to renew our external joint venture audit in 2024. As a result, we can state that none of these audits have found evidence of forced labor or other human rights violations in our joint ventures."/als/DP/jha