Chinese businesses hoping to expand in the US and bring jobs face uncertainty and suspicion
In 2022, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer welcomed a Chinese battery company’s plan to build a $2.36 billion factory and bring a couple thousand jobs to Big Rapids
WASHINGTON (AP) — It was billed as the “biggest ever economic development project” in north Michigan when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2022 welcomed a Chinese lithium-ion battery company’s plan to build a $2.36 billion factory and bring a couple thousand jobs to Big Rapids.
But now the project by Gotion High-Tech is in the crosshairs of some U.S. lawmakers and local residents.
Leading the charge is Republican Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, who accuses the Chinese company of having ties to forced labor and says he fears it could spy for Beijing and work to extend China's influence in the U.S. heartland. Gotion rejects the accusations.
“I want to see this area have more jobs and investments, but we must not welcome companies that are controlled by people who see us as the enemy and we should not allow them to build here,” Moolenaar said at a recent roundtable discussion in Michigan.
