A spokesperson for Chinese automaker BYD has objected to reports about poor conditions at a construction site in Brazil where it is building a factory, saying the allegations were aimed at “smearing” China and Chinese brands...

BYD said that the Jinjiang workers would be housed in nearby hotels for the time being, and would not suffer from the decision to stop work at the site. The company said that over the past few weeks it had been changing working conditions at the construction site and had told its contractors that “adjustments” had to be made.

Li's Weibo post also included what it said was a “declaration” from the Chinese workers at the site, imprinted with red thumbprints of the men, who were shown in a video sitting together in a room...

The workers’ statement said the passports had been taken to allow the company to process work permits and other procedures that they could not manage on their own due to language difficulties.

Jinjiang Construction Brazil said in a statement that it had been “frequently and intensively inspected by the local labor department in Brazil.”

It said that due to cultural differences, problems with translation and understanding, “much of the information released by the labor department was inaccurate, especially statements saying the Jinjiang workers were ‘enslaved’ and ‘rescued,’ which is completely inconsistent with the facts.”

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