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(WATCH) Car Batteries
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In Michigan, a major company is promising to build a new factory, invest billions, and bring in more than two thousand jobs. It quite possibly could change the fortune of one of the state’s poorest areas. But as badly as they may need jobs, many residents have risen up to fight the plans. And now the small township— roughly six miles by six miles— is a major focal point in a national battle over jobs and national security.
The following is a transcript of a report from “Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson.”
Watch the video by clicking the link at the end of the page.
Chuck Thelen: So what we are seeing, this is a pine stand, a 20 acre pine stand.
Chuck Thelen is showing us a desolate plot of Michigan land in Green Charter Township, an hour’s drive north of Grand Rapids.
Thelen: And then right here is where the buildings will start.
He’ll be general manager of a giant factory to be built by a company called Gotion to make parts for electric car batteries.
It promises to bring thousands of jobs to one of the state’s poorest areas. But as needed as the jobs may be, Gotion has become a national flashpoint.
Sharyl: Is there any Chinese ownership?
Thelen: Yeah, the founder of the company, he’s the second highest stockholder. So he is Chinese. But there’s no ownership from the PRC or government entity. It’s all private.
Sharyl: When you say there’s no ownership by the Communist Chinese party, we always hear that it’s not possible to have a complete separate entity if this is a business that’s in China. There has to be some connection to the party and the government?
Thelen: They have rules and regulations like any other country, which we abide by the rules of every country where we’re at. Just theirs tend to be a little stiffer. But they do not own or operate the company.
Nonetheless, there are signs many are worried. The debate has stirred bitter sentiments and upended local politics. A year ago, voters booted Republicans who backed the Gotion plant from the town council in a special election.
Jason Kruse took over as Green Charter Township’s supervisor.
Sharyl: So can you give the summary of, I call it sort of the bloodbath that happened in the election?
Kruse: Well there was a, there was a big rift that happened within the community. Still pretty much exists today. I think it’s kind of cooling down a little bit, as we work through some of these issues within our township and our community. But, it was a split between what they call the Pro-Go’s and the No-Go’s for lack of better content or words.
This is as good a place as any to note that the debate doesn’t divide neatly along political lines.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, supports the Gotion plant. So do Republicans who controlled the state legislature when it gave Gotion hundreds of millions of dollars in incentives.
Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance was in Michigan during our recent visit.
Senator JD Vance (August 27): Even some of the folks in Obama’s administration said that the Gotion factory plant is a threat to America’s national security. Even Obama’s leadership. But Kamala Harris not only wants to allow the Chinese Communist Party to build factories on American soil, she wants to pay them to do it with our tax money.
Bruce Borkovich, a Republican, is running for supervisor in nearby Big Rapids Township where worries over Chinese interests have bled over.
Bruce Borkovich: We have many credible, very credible sources who say that the Chinese government— not the Chinese people, we’re not against the Chinese people— but the Chinese government is a threat to our existence. And in particular, if this plant is built, they will are certain that it will be used to attack our cybersecurity and our intellectual property. Not likely or highly likely, they are certain that that will happen.
Sharyl: How do you explain the Republicans who had backed the project and subsequently got voted off the board?
Borkovich: So I think when this began, it was very much, wow, here’s an opportunity to bring a big company and provide a lot of jobs, benefits, a real shot in the arm to the economy. But then as we drill down and think about the environmental risks, and then in particular the security risks that we’ve now been educated to, I don’t think it belongs anywhere on American soil.
Opponents have seized upon a controversial provision in Gotion’s articles of incorporation, that Gotion’s Chuck Thelen addressed.
Thelen: In China, that you have to allow for the Communist Party to assemble in your place of business if you have three or more employees that work there that are CCP members. That’s what it refers to.
Sharyl: Does that concern you or should it be of concern to the community?
Thelen: I’ve never seen or heard any ideals expressed by the management or the people working in this company, so no, it does not concern me.
Also unconcerned— Jim Chapman, another Green Charter Township official ousted from his job over the Gotion deal. He blames unnamed outside interests for ginning up fear of foreigners.
Jim Chapman: The pressure’s coming in, the money coming in from outside this area is off the scale. I have in my car, truck, a flyer, very professionally done. I’m told those things run six to eight thousand dollars. For the recall, last fall, there was seven, eight of those went out.
Jim Chapman (at his car showing flyer): This is one of the examples of what I’m talking about. And they make a whole bunch of claims that they are leading a fight, blah blah blah blah. How do you deal with the constant accusations that are not based in fact.
Sharyl: Is it safe to say you think that if there wasn’t some Chinese ownership, it would be a no brainer for the town?
Chapman: Oh, absolutely.
Sharyl: Are there any valid concerns? Do you have any concerns about China’s involvement?
Chapman: Of course I do. Of course I do. The Chinese National, the Chinese Communist Party is an evil organization, alright? There is no question about that. And so yes, that concerns me. But I started doing, you know, I’m looking at the research, actually looking at the facts. What did I see? Gotion is owned by these companies, okay? Like any other international agency over here, this, they found one company that like 1% of ’em of their stock was owned by an entity that’s owned by the Chinese Communist Party. That’s the closest they could come with direct connection.
At the national level, a growing number of Americans now see China as an “enemy,” and most say they favor reducing China’s power and influence as a top foreign policy goal, according to a recent study.
Concerns about China have expanded under both Trump and Biden. President Biden recently signed legislation picking up on a Trump initiative.
It requires the Chinese owner of the popular social media company TikTok to sell by next spring or have TikTok banned in the U.S. for national security reasons.
In Green Charter Township Michigan, it boils down to jobs versus national security. After the recall election, the new township supervisor Jason Kruse and the new board tried to reverse course on the plant. Gotion sued, and a federal judge ordered them to resume the contract.
What comes next is anybody’s guess.
Sharyl: What’s your best guess as to what we’re gonna see five years from now?
Kruse: Wow. My best guess is anything, anything can happen at this point.
Borkovich: We’re in the fight. If we lose, we lose. We can keep our head up, but we don’t plan on losing.
Sharyl: What is the status of the project? Is there anything at this point that could stop it?
Thelen: There’s always something that could stop anything, but right now the status is we’re moving forward.
Thelen: I have no idea why they’re picking on us. It is truly a David and Goliath. And the Goliath is beating up on David. I feel like I’m David, we’re throwing rocks and they’re throwing missiles.
Sharyl: The township is appealing the federal order to continue the Gotion contract.
Watch video here.
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