Residents of rural Michigan are speaking out against the construction of a planned EV plant with ties to the Chinese Communist Party – now set to go through despite concerns over its close proximity to a US military base.
The unrest now being seen in Green Charter Township revolves around Gotion Incorporated, a battery part manufacturer that recently bought a swathe of land in the Big Rapids area for its planned $2.4billion factory.
Now under construction, the massive plant’s parent company, Guoxuan High-Tech, has previously come under scrutiny for its close connections to China’s communist party – and is now at the center of a burgeoning controversy.
Community members in Green Charter, the small community where the plant is poised to reside, are issuing concerns over its connection to China.
Days after feds said they don’t have the proper jurisdiction to review the plant’s constriction, local lawmakers also got involved, and urged officials like the governor and senate to put a stop to the plant’s construction to avoid a potential crisis.
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Residents of rural Michigan are speaking out against the construction of a planned EV plant with ties to the Chinese Communist Party – now set to go through despite concerns over its proximity to a US military base
The unrest now being seen in Green Charter Township revolves around Gotion Incorporated, a battery part manufacturer that recently bought a swathe of land outside of Big Rapids for its planned $2.4billion factory. The firm’s headquarters in Shanghai is seen here
‘We’re not stupid,’ Green Charter resident Ormand Hook is heard telling NewsNation in a clip set to air Monday outlining the occurrence – which the latest instance of Chinese firms purchasing acres of American land often minutes away from military installations.
‘We’re here, but we’re not stupid,’ the farmer added, while flanked by members of his family.
When asked whether he thought his town was targeted for the planned EV plant due to its out-of-the way nature and rustic residents, Hook emphatically answered: ‘Yes.’
In another snippet, Corrie Riebow, another person living in the small, somewhat suburban town an hour’s drive from Grand Rapids just off Route 131, was similarly asked: ‘Why here?’
She replied: ‘I don’t know; but somebody must be benefiting. We won’t be,’ she added, ‘but somebody is.’
Others in recent weeks have aired similar grievances, with many pointing out how close the battery plant will be to the Michigan Army National Guard base in Big Rapids, only a few minutes south.
At a press conference Tuesday in Lansing, resident Julie Bryant aired similar concerns.
‘There are so many issues,” Bryant told a room full of several state legislators and former U.S. ambassadors with several other citizens in attendance.
‘There’s corporate welfare, there’s a national security. We are 12 miles away from my sensitive Air National Guard Base – a federal center – amongst other things.’
The planned factory will occupy a swathe of land just outside the Big Rapids area, and will cost $2.4billion to make
At a press conference Tuesday in Lansing, residents aired their concerns about the plant being set near a federal military base in Big Rapids
The incident comes amid a period of heightened concerns about Chinese security threats on US soil.
A 2019 report from the US Department of Agriculture showed China owned at least 192,000 acres US agricultural land worth over $1.9 billion.
Though nation’s like Canada own far more US agricultural land, a 2018 USDA report showed China’s agricultural holdings in the US and other counties had increased tenfold since 2009.
Lawmakers from liberal banner-woman Elizabeth Warren to conservative stalwarts like former-vice president Mike Pence have spoke about the need to curb China’s ability to ingrain itself in the US food supply.
‘America cannot allow China to control our food supply,’ Pence in 2021, asking President Biden and Congress to ‘end all farm subsidies for land owned by foreign nationals.’
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio characterized Fefung’s North Dakota purchase as more than a food supply encroachment, telling CNBC it was an example of a security threat that needed to be addressed.
‘It is dangerous, foolish, and shortsighted to allow the Chinese Communist Party and its proxies to purchase land near U.S. military installations,’ he said.
‘We want to do what’s best for the community, we want to do what’s best for the country, it’s a difficult balance right now.’
North Dakota Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer (above), spoke out against the Chinese interest’s proximity to the air base
On Friday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis – considered a potential 2024 presidential candidate – told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham he didn’t think Chinese companies should be allowed to purchase US land at the rate they have.
Fufeng USA Chief Operating Officer Eric Chutorash said he knew the company ‘absolutely’ wouldn’t spy on US military interests
‘I don’t think they should be able to do it. I think the problem is these companies have ties to the CCP [Chinese Communist Party], and it’s not always apparent on the face of whatever a company is doing – but I think it’s a huge problem.’
The governor’s solution has been to ban what he calls ‘undue influence from rogue states,’ like China‘s ruling party.
The state has already banned what’s known as a ‘Confucius Institutes,’ public educational and cultural promotion programs designed to educate people about China, thereby giving the CCP undue influence over systems of higher learning.
DeSantis added there’s likely more legislative action to come:
‘We’re also probably going to do legislation next legislative session about our pension investments, with things that may be linked to the CCP. We don’t necessarily have a lot of it, but we want to make sure that we’re cutting ties so that we’re not funding our number-one adversary.’
On Friday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis – considered a potential 2024 presidential candidate – told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham he didn’t think Chinese companies should be allowed to purchase US land at the rate they have
Grand Forks Air Force base has a space networking center that’s been characterized as ‘the backbone of all US military communications across the globe’
Whatever the potential geopolitical implications of the Fufeng land purchase, Mayor Brandon Bochenski said he wants to bring more commerce the small city of Grand Fork.
‘I mean, we’re a municipality of about 60,000 people,’ he told CNBC, ‘You know, we don’t have the budget to have an intelligence-gathering apparatus here. We do the best we can and rely on our partners.’
He said he supports Fufeng building its plant, which is set to begin next spring and would cost $700 million and bring about 200 jobs to the city.
‘We want to do what’s best for the community, we want to do what’s best for the country, it’s a difficult balance right now.’
