Jinjiang Group from China has come under scrutiny following reports from Brazil’s labor authorities alleging that workers at a factory it is constructing for the electric vehicle manufacturer BYD were subjected to human trafficking and forced to work in conditions resembling slavery. Jinjiang has denied the accusations of slavery-like conditions and has not provided a response to the allegations of trafficking. The Chinese foreign ministry has stated that it is in communication with Brazil and emphasized that Chinese companies must operate within the boundaries of the law.
Overview of Jinjiang Group:
COMPANY PROFILE
Established in 2002, the privately-owned Jinjiang Group, which translates to “gold craftsman,” specializes in property construction services. Headquartered in Shenzhen, the same city as BYD, the company was founded by Chairman Ma Jianbin, an alumni of Sichuan College of Architectural Technology. Reports from 2021 indicated that Jinjiang employed 1,500 staff and had an annual revenue of 3 billion yuan ($400 million). Major clients include prominent Chinese property developers like Vanke, Longfor, and Country Garden.
JINJIANG’S INVOLVEMENT WITH BYD
Aside from the Brazilian factory project, Jinjiang has been engaged in constructing BYD factories across various Chinese cities such as Changzhou, Yangzhou, and Hefei. Recruitment postings on social media platforms and job websites indicated Jinjiang’s involvement in BYD plant construction in Xian, Shaanxi, and Zhengzhou. The company also assisted BYD in the development of the Skyrail elevated monorail system in China. While it remains uncertain if Jinjiang is working on BYD projects in countries like Hungary, Mexico, Thailand, and Uzbekistan, recruitment posts suggest a presence in Hungary for positions like forklift drivers and logistics specialists.
WORKPLACE SAFETY RECORD
Records from Tianyancha revealed that between 2018 and 2022, Jinjiang was instructed by Chinese courts to compensate workers in five legal disputes related to work accidents and injuries. The company faced fines in 2023 and 2024 for breaching worker safety regulations. In a notable incident in May 2022, a worker at a BYD construction site in Hefei lost his life due to a falling accident, resulting in fines for Jinjiang and two subcontractors for failing to implement safety measures.
RESPONSES TO BRAZILIAN ALLEGATIONS
In response to the claims from Brazil, Jinjiang refuted the portrayal of the workers as “enslaved,” citing translation errors and posted a video on its Weibo account featuring Chinese workers expressing their desire to continue working in Brazil. BYD initially announced the termination of its association with Jinjiang but later shared Jinjiang’s statement from China.
The statement was issued online by a high-ranking BYD executive, who leveled accusations against “foreign forces” and certain Chinese media outlets for allegedly engaging in a campaign to tarnish the reputation of Chinese brands and the country itself, thereby jeopardizing the longstanding ties between China and Brazil. In response to the situation, Brazil’s Labor Prosecutor’s Office has announced that both BYD and Jinjiang have committed to providing assistance and temporary accommodation in hotels for the 163 affected workers until a resolution can be reached regarding the termination of their employment contracts. As of the latest exchange rate, $1 equals 7.2992 Chinese yuan renminbi. This information was compiled by the Shanghai and Beijing Newsrooms, with final editing conducted by William Mallard.
