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 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. The companies also said Wednesday that they were extending their 40-year-old automaking joint venture until 2040,

On the occasion of SAIC Volkswagen's 40th anniversary, SAIC Motor and the Volkswagen Group signed an extended joint venture (JV) agreement in Shanghai, further strengthening their long-term partnership and prolonging the joint venture period of SAIC Volkswagen until 2040,