QResear.ch

#15296055 at 2022-01-02 18:05:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #19347: Dinner Reservations for 22? Edition

>>15295962

June 4, 2019
Volkswagen funds ADL office in Germany for combating anti-Semitism in Europe

German car manufacturing giant Volkswagen has joined with the US-based Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to fund a Berlin-based office that will research and combat anti-Semitism in Europe. "The initiative will focus on assessing the root causes of anti-Semitism, extremism, and bigotry in society and develop programs to counter it through advocacy and education," ADL said in a release Tuesday. A Volkswagen spokesman told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that the venture will open an ADL office in Berlin, the first ADL presence in Europe in more than a decade. The funding, over the three years, is set to be in the low seven figures, the official said, with an option to expand and continue the initiative thereafter. Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen Group, the largest car manufacturer in the world, announced the bid Monday at the ADL's annual Washington conference. In an interview with JTA, he said he was concerned about the recent spike in anti-Semitism in Europe, and that Volkswagen had a special obligation to combat racism because of its origins in Nazi Germany.

Herbert Diess, CEO of the Volkswagen AG, attends the annual press conference of the car manufacturer Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg, Germany, March 12, 2019. (Christophe Gateau/dpa via AP) "We have more obligation than others," he said. "The whole company was built up by the Nazi regime."

The initiative will have four components: education in schools, education in workplaces, lobbying in European capitals, and research through surveys. The project came months after Diess faced criticism - and questions over his future - for invoking a phrase used by Nazi Germany. At a meeting in March, the Volkswagen CEO told managers "ebit macht frei," roughly translating to "profit will make you free," in an apparent play on "arbeit macht frei," or "work will make you free." Ebit is an acronym for "earnings before interest and taxes."

Diess apologized for his remark later, saying it was "definitely an unfortunate choice of words." The entrance to the Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau with the lettering 'Arbeit macht frei' ('Work makes you free'). (Joel Saget/AFP) "At no time was it my intention for this statement to be placed in a false context. At the time, I simply did not think of this possibility," the BBC quoted him saying. Volkswagen was founded in the 1930s by a Nazi trade union and during World War II used concentration camp internees and prisoners of war as slave labor in its factories. While the phrase "arbeit macht frei" originated in the 19th century, it is most associated with the Nazis, who emblazoned the saying on the gates of the Auschwitz and other concentration camps they established.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/volkswagen-funds-adl-office-in-germany-for-combating-anti-semitism-in-europe/

#15296041 at 2022-01-02 18:01:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #19347: Dinner Reservations for 22? Edition

>>15295962
CEO Dr. Herbert Diess visits Auschwitz Concentration Camp Memorial Site

On Friday, the CEO of the Volkswagen Group, Dr. Herbert Diess, visited Auschwitz Concentration Camp Memorial Site. Together with apprentices from five Volkswagen plants , Diess honored the memory of the one and a half million people murdered by the Nazi regime in Auschwitz. At the International Youth Meeting Center in O?wi?cim/Auschwitz, Diess was received by 95-year-old contemporary witness Zofia Posmysz.

Volkswagen continues its partnership with the International Auschwitz Committee and the International Youth Meeting Center in O?wi?cim/Auschwitz which started some 30 years ago.

Diess visited the former Birkenau extermination camp and the former Auschwitz concentration camp and signed the guestbook of the memorial site. At the ash pond, he honored the memory of the European Jews murdered at Birkenau. At the main concentration camp, Diess, accompanied by eight apprentices, laid a wreath at the wall of death and lit candles. At the International Youth Meeting Center, Diess informed himself about the memorial site project "Auschwitz - Remembrance and Future". Apprentices from five Volkswagen plants reported on their experiences, impressions and encounters from their two weeks of work on the repair and restoration of the memorial site. The apprentices excavate former pathways in the camp or the foundations of occupants' huts, repair barbed wire fences and clean eroded roofing tiles. They restore the enamel crockery and preserve the shoes of the victims.

Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, said: "At a time when anti-Semitism and the radical right are again gaining ground, it is important for us to keep alive memories of the incredible degree of contempt for humanity which exceeds the bounds of our present imagination. This is especially important for Volkswagen. I would like to thank both our many apprentices, who now come from several different countries to work on the conservation of the memorial site, and the organizers. These are very important activities for Volkswagen."

Herbert Diess: "My conversation with Zofia Posmysz, a survivor of Auschwitz, will leave a deep and lasting impression. She told us about how and under what circumstances she came to Auschwitz and how she was incredibly fortunate to survive two and a half years. What are her messages? Do not trust any ideology. Although she is very religious herself, she says that you should not trust religion, either. The many young people from throughout the world, including people from Volkswagen, who visit this horrific place give her reason to believe in a better future."

Zofia Posmysz, who survived Auschwitz and Ravensbr?ck concentration camps, said: "We survivors see the commitment of the Volkswagen apprentices in a very positive light. I would like to thank the young Germans and Poles for coming here together and wanting to know about what Auschwitz means for us and young people in the two countries - back then, we were as young as they are today."

The Vice President of the International Auschwitz Committee, Christoph Heubner, said: "the Volkswagen Group's memorial site work is modest and unpretentious and has been unique in German industry for 30 years. This is an exemplary commitment at a time where knowledge of the Holocaust in Europe is apparently fading and the ghosts of the past are knocking on our door. Especially through these projects, young people can experience for themselves the meaning of democracy, tolerance and responsibility."

https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/press-releases/ceo-dr-Herbert-Diess-visits-auschwitz-concentration-camp-memorial-site-4458

#14535217 at 2021-09-07 15:52:51 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #18387: Recall/Expell/Impeach All Rinos. Call Now Operators are Open Edition

WTF

The shortage is thought to have been exacerbated by the move to electric vehicles. For example, a Ford Focus typically uses roughly 300 chips, whereas one of Ford's new electric vehicles can have up to 3,000 chips.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/06/vw-ford-daimler-fear-chip-shortage-could-persist-for-some-time.html

GERMANY: ENGINE OF EUROPE
Major automakers fear the global chip shortage could persist for some time
PUBLISHED MON, SEP 6 202110:37 AM EDT UPDATED 20 MIN AGO
Sam Shead
@SAM_L_SHEAD

KEY POINTS
- The shortage is thought to have been exacerbated by the move to electric vehicles.
- There are now other shortages in raw materials to contend with as well.
- Bosch, which is the world's largest car-parts supplier, believes semiconductor supply chains in the automotive industry are no longer fit for purpose.

Car manufacturers including Ford, Volkswagen and Daimler are still struggling to deal with the impact of the global chip shortage, with executives from each of the companies warning a lack of silicon is likely to remain a problem.

Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess, Daimler CEO Ola Kallenius and Ford Europe chairman of the management board Gunnar Herrmann told CNBC's Annette Weisbach at the Munich Motor Show on Monday that it's hard to tell when the complex issue will be resolved.

Germany's Volkswagen, Europe's largest carmaker, has lost market share in China as a result of the chip shortage, Diess said.

"We are relatively weak because of semiconductor shortages," he said. "We are hit more in China than the rest of the world. That's why we are losing market share."

Diess said his colleagues in China have been pushing for more semiconductors, describing the lack of chips as a "really big concern."



The Wolfsburg-headquartered company was expecting the semiconductor situation to improve after the summer holidays but that hasn't been the case. Malaysia, where many of Volkswagen's suppliers are based, has been hit hard by the coronavirus in recent weeks, leading to several factory shutdowns.

Diess said he believes the chip shortage issues will start to dissipate as countries reduce Covid-19 transmission, but he expects there to be a general shortage of semiconductors for some time. "We will face a general shortage of semiconductors because the internet of things is growing so fast so there will be constraints which we will try to manage," he said.

Raw materials crisis
Ford Europe's Herrmann, meanwhile, estimates the chip shortage could continue through to 2024, adding that it's difficult to pinpoint exactly when it will end.

The shortage is thought to have been exacerbated by the move to electric vehicles. For example, a Ford Focus typically uses roughly 300 chips, whereas one of Ford's new electric vehicles can have up to 3,000 chips.

Beyond chips, there are now other shortages to contend with. Ford is facing a "new crisis" in raw materials, Herrmann said.

#10569045 at 2020-09-08 20:28:44 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #13524: Riders on The Storm Edition

Germany ends China honeymoon with new Indo-Pacific strategy

BERLIN – After years of shaping its Asian strategy around China, Germany has made a sharp break and will focus instead on stronger partnerships with democracies in the region such as Japan and South Korea to promote the rule of law. The shift comes as part of a rising sense of alarm throughout Europe about economic dependence on China and the country's track record on human rights. "We want to help shape [the future global order] so that it is based on rules and international cooperation, not on the law of the strong," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Sept. 2. "That is why we have intensified cooperation with those countries that share our democratic and liberal values." Germany that day adopted new policy guidelines covering the Indo-Pacific, stressing the importance of the rule of law and promoting open markets in the region. The strategy echoes the approach taken by France, as well as Japan, Australia and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

China had been Berlin's diplomatic focus in Asia, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel visiting the country almost yearly. China also accounts for 50% of Germany's trade with the Indo-Pacific region. But economic growth has not opened the Chinese market as hoped. German companies operating there have been forced to hand over technology by China's government. Negotiations for an investment treaty between the European Union and China to address such issues have stalled, fueling concerns about becoming too economically dependent on Beijing. This coincided with growing criticism of China's new national security law in Hong Kong and its detention centers for members of the Uighur Muslim minority, which in turn have led to increasing resistance in Germany to Merkel's pro-China policies.

Berlin's new Indo-Pacific strategy takes a tougher approach toward China, including criticism of the vast debt racked up by countries participating in Beijing's Belt and Road infrastructure-building initiative. German companies also have concerns about doing business and protecting their intellectual property in China, especially after Chinese appliance maker Midea Group bought German robot maker Kuka in late 2016. But they are hesitant to snub such a supersized market. About 40% of vehicles sold last year by Volkswagen, as well as nearly 30% by Daimler and BMW, went to China.

Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess calls China his company's "most important market." The automaker in May agreed to take a 50% stake in the parent of China's state-owned JAC Motors. The German company has defended its plant in Xinjiang, the Uighurs' home region. Volkswagen has only committed more firmly to China after an emissions scandal in the U.S. and setbacks in its tie-up with Tata Motors in India. Daimler and BMW also see China as the key to success, especially with the European market still stricken by the coronavirus pandemic. Daimler issued an apology in 2018 for quoting the Dalai Lama in an ad.

BASF, a leading chemical producer, is constructing its second integrated chemical project in China as well. The German company's Guangdong Province site is slated for completion in 2030 and will cost $10 billion. Still, Europe as a whole appears to be reevaluating its ties to China. The European Union in 2019 labeled China a "strategic competitor," highlighting its trade and technological rivalry with the Asian giant. A shift toward a more sober strategy on Beijing has occurred, said Patrick Koellner at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies. Germany plans to work with France toward an EU-wide strategy on the Indo-Pacific. Berlin aims to boost its influence on the issue by having the entire bloc on its side.

The U.K. and France also have begun freezing Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technology out of their 5G networks. Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently toured Europe as part of Beijing's charm offensive, but his trip largely highlighted the growing rift between the two sides.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Germany-ends-China-honeymoon-with-new-Indo-Pacific-strategy

#10527093 at 2020-09-04 17:50:49 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #13472: Headline Holes Filled By Anons, QNN,Qbriefs,ABCU,WEARETHENEWS Edition

>>10526583 pb
Tesla CEO met VW CEO during Germany visit

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk met Volkswagen's Chief Executive Herbert Diess for a courtesy visit during which Musk took a test drive in Volkswagen's new electric car, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday. A spokewoman for Volkswagen declined to comment on the meeting. A spokeswoman for Tesla could not be reached for comment. Volkswagen earlier on Friday tweeted that Elon Musk's jet had taken off from Braunschweig, Lower Saxony on Thursday, "Were you in the area yesterday @ElonMusk? " punctuated by a smiling emoticon. Braunschweig is the closest airport to Volkswagen's headquarters in Wolfsburg.
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/tesla-ceo-met-vw-ceo-during-germany-visit-source-2020-09-04

#10159637 at 2020-08-02 11:57:34 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #13000: Thou Sayest It Edition

>>10159580
BCVW

Board Chairman of VW

Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess giving up managing VW brand

https://www.citynews1130.com/2020/06/08/volkswagen-ceo-Herbert-Diess-giving-up-managing-vw-brand/

#6154292 at 2019-04-12 20:45:57 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #7870: Greatest Country on Earth Edition

President of Russia @KremlinRussia_E

#Kremlin: Meeting with CEO of Volkswagen Group Herbert Diess

#4767966 at 2019-01-15 21:06:36 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #6085: [MAY] Edition

Trump Lauds Volkswagen's $800 Million Expansion in US as 'Big Win'

President Donald Trump lauded German automaker Volkswagen for choosing Chattanooga, Tennessee, 0n Jan. 15, as the company's North American base for manufacturing electric vehicles.

Volkswagen's U.S. expansion includes an investment of $800 million in the facility, which is poised to create 1,000 jobs at the plant and additional jobs at suppliers.

"Congratulations to Chattanooga and Tennessee on a job well done. A big win!" Trump said on Twitter, in part.

The Chattanooga plant is the first dedicated location in North America for the production of a vehicle using Volkswagen's modular electric toolkit chassis or MEB. Electric Vehicle (EV) production at the site will begin in 2022, according to the automaker.

Dr. Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen AG said that the move is vital for the companies' expansion.

"The U.S. is one of the most important locations for us and producing electric cars in Chattanooga is a key part of our growth strategy in North America," said Diess.

Manufacturing in the United States under the Trump administration has made historic gains. In early January, the manufacturing industry reported a net creation of 284,000 jobs in 2018, the best performance in the sector since 1997. Meanwhile, in December, the Labor Department said manufacturers added 32,000 jobs.

Trump has pledged to grow the manufacturing sector and has made it one of his top priorities in boosting the U.S. economy. Many of the new jobs added were in fields such as fabricated metals and electronics. In 2017, factories added 207,000 jobs, for a two-year total of 491,000.

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam praised the automaker's move, saying it would provide massive benefits to the state.

He also added that it would help them "build a pipeline of talent for years to come."

https://www.theepochtimes.com/trump-lauds-volkswagens-800-million-expansion-in-us-as-big-win_2767127.html

#3925209 at 2018-11-16 13:07:48 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4992: TGIF Edition

HAMBURG (Reuters) - Volkswagen chief executive (VOWG_p.DE) Herbert Diess will take on responsibility for the carmaker's business in China, a source said as VW's supervisory board met in Wolfsburg on Friday.

Diess will take over the China role early next year from Jochem Heizmann, who will retire, the source told Reuters.

"The Chinese government expects that company leadership is routinely present in China," the source added.

Volkswagen declined to comment on the news, which was first reported by German newspaper Handelsblatt.

VW is due to hold a news conference at 1130 GMT as its board votes on a multi-billion euro investment plan.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-strategy-china-idUSKCN1NL13Q?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=5beebf6e04d301583dfdbe3b&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

#1392003 at 2018-05-13 03:39:49 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #1745: Godspeed Patriots

>>1391340
Renault:
reuters.com/article/us-renault-succession-exclusive/exclusive-renaults-mueller-quits-clearing-ceo-succession-path-sources-idUSKBN1FT2LS
unitedagainstnucleariran.com/company/renault

Merck:
syracuse.com/us-news/index.ssf/2017/08/under_armour_ceo_resigns_from_trump_council.html
nytimes.com/2018/02/19/business/merck-ceo-ken-frazier-trump.html
unitedagainstnucleariran.com/company/merck-kgaa

Daimler:
reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-daimler-directors/daimler-trucks-chief-bernhard-steps-down-idUSKBN15P1MK
"In 2016, Daimler signed an agreement with Iran Khodro, a vehicle maker based in Tehran, to distribute Fuso brand trucks. Demand has been limited, however, because of Iran's weak economy, Daimler spokesman Florian Martens said Tuesday." (nytimes.com/2018/05/09/business/iran-nuclear-trump-business-europe.html)
unitedagainstnucleariran.com/company/mercedes-benz

VW:
global.handelsblatt.com/companies/vw-ceo-matthias-muller-resigning-Herbert-Diess-become-new-boss-909377
unitedagainstnucleariran.com/company/volkswagen

Volvo:
sail-world.com/Australia/Volvo-Ocean-Race–Mark-Turner-elaborates-on-resignation-reasons/-157597?source=google
unitedagainstnucleariran.com/company/volvo