How a Chinese battery factory sparked a political meltdown in a small Michigan town
restofworld.org
The ambitious executives at Gotion wanted to join America’s EV gold rush. Then came geopolitics.
  • The Gotion factory highlights the challenges Chinese companies face in the U.S., particularly during a climate of deep political polarization, nationalism, and growing suspicion toward China.
  • A grassroots “No Go” movement, fueled by fears of communism and environmental concerns, successfully stalled the project in Michigan, leading to the ouster of local officials who supported the factory.
  • The Gotion case shows the disconnect between national economic goals and local concerns, especially in communities wary of globalization and foreign investment.
  • SaltSong@startrek.websiteEnglish
    92·
    1 day ago

    I would be suspicious of any big company trying to set up a manufacturing facility. Jobs, yes. We need jobs. But the company is not here to provide jobs, they are here for cheap labor. They area here because they hope the desire for good jobs will blind people to the environmental risks of the project.

    And I would expect a Chinese company operating in America to be more of a risk then any other combination I’m aware of. The American people don’t trust regulations. The American government doesn’t enforce regulations. And the Chinese culture, as far as I can tell, believes that regulations exist to be broken. Three groups that have no use for anything that will protect the environment is a recipe for toxic waste releases.