Report: Owner of Michigan EV Plant Promotes Chinese Communist Ideology During Worker Retreats

Chinese Company Developing Taxpayer-Funded Electric Vehicle Battery Facility in Michigan Hosts CCP Trips for Employees

Gotion High-Tech, a Chinese company developing an electric vehicle battery facility in Michigan, has come under fire for hosting company trips to Communist Party memorials in China, where employees wore Red Army uniforms and pledged allegiance to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The trips, which took place in 2021, included visits to the CCP’s Revolutionary Memorial Hall and Dabie Mountain, sites of significant historical events for the party. Video footage translated by the Daily Caller News Foundation shows employees chanting pledges of loyalty to the CCP and vowing to fight for communism. This revelation raises concerns about the company’s allegiance to the Chinese government.

Gotion High-Tech, the parent company of Gotion Inc. based in Hefei, China, denied funding the trips and stated that its employees individually paid for them. They emphasized that Gotion Inc., headquartered in Fremont, California, is not supervised, directed, controlled, or financed by any foreign government or political party. However, opponents of the company’s Michigan project have pointed to Gotion High-Tech’s corporate bylaws, which require the company to carry out party activities in accordance with the Constitution of the Communist Party of China.

The controversy surrounding Gotion’s employee trips comes as the Michigan project faces scrutiny from locals, national security experts, and Republican lawmakers. Critics argue that the company’s ties to the Chinese government pose a risk to national security. Earlier this year, a Michigan law firm registered Gotion Inc. as a Chinese foreign principal, further raising concerns about the company’s connections.

Former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Cella warned that China is actively seeking opportunities to expand its influence in states like Michigan. He and Ambassador Peter Hoekstra have called for a federal investigation into potential violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act related to hush agreements signed by state officials during the Gotion negotiations. These agreements have raised suspicions about potential undisclosed ties between Gotion and the CCP.

Despite these concerns, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has been a vocal supporter of the Gotion project. The governor announced that Gotion would invest $2.4 billion in constructing production plants and supporting facilities in northern Michigan. The state Senate Appropriations Committee approved $175 million in direct taxpayer funding for the project, with some Democrats joining Republicans in voting against the funding.

Local residents and activists have expressed anger and frustration over the lack of transparency and due diligence in approving the funding. They argue that the project poses a risk to their community and are mobilizing grassroots activism to oppose it.

Gotion recently acquired 270 acres of land in Green Charter Township, Michigan, for the project. The company plans to build two production plants and other facilities on the land.

The controversy surrounding Gotion’s employee trips and its ties to the CCP highlight the need for further scrutiny and investigation into the project’s potential implications for national security and foreign influence. Concerned citizens and lawmakers are calling for transparency and accountability in the decision-making process regarding taxpayer-funded projects with potential ties to foreign governments.

Original Story at www.foxnews.com – 2023-09-01 16:57:00