On Monday, the Department of Defense added Chinese lithium-ion battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited, or CATL, to a list of companies it believes are affiliated with the Chinese military.
This has led to new criticism of the Ford Motor Company's relationship with CATL. Ford plans to license CATL's technology at the BlueOval EV battery plant it's building in Marshall.
The Defense Department publishes a list of "Chinese military companies" annually, in accordance with federal law.
The law defines Chinese military companies as an entity that is "directly or indirectly owned, controlled, or beneficially owned by, or in an official or unofficial capacity acting as an agent of or on behalf of, the People’s Liberation Army."
In a statement, CATL suggested it would challenge the designation, which it called “false.”
BlueOval
Ford has said it is on track to open the Marshall facility in 2026.
Republican State Representative Sarah Lightner represents the district the plant is in.
Lightner said she has never been a supporter of the project, believing the state will not see a strong return on its investment in the plant. In response to CATL's recent DOD classification, Lightner has renewed calls for the state rescind tax subsidies awarded to Ford for the BlueOval project.
“When you have those people infiltrating our Michigan or United States businesses, it's a security concern. And we have to be cautious about it and make sure we do our due diligence," she said.
She added that Michigan should cut all funding for the project.
“We shouldn't be using our taxpayer dollars to cut our own throat with the Chinese military.”
Ford did not respond to a request for comment by deadline.
Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.
