China's repression of Xinjiang's Uyghur Muslims is well-known and documented. The reports of Xinjiang Markor's menacing invasive "home visits" merely reiterates a long history. As a responsible company, BASF cannot hide away from its duties, and its decision to quit its joint ventures in the region is a welcome step toward ensuring that the lure of profits doesn't overshadow the need to respect basic civil liberties.
The hounding of BASF in the name of supposed human rights abuse may have forced it to take the drastic decision of quitting its joint ventures in the stable and prospering Xinjiang, but its overall commitment to China remains firm. Beijing will not allow this unfortunate development to affect its Xinjiang policy. Neither will it allow outsiders to succeed in their smear campaign against the nation.