Holland Reporter

John Moolenaar, chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), said that the committee has denied a Michigan mayor's request for federal funding to support Ford's partnership with Chinese battery manufacturer CATL. The committee associates CATL with China's military.

According to a press release from the Select Committee on the CCP, Moolenaar sent a letter to Battle Creek Mayor Mark Behnke regarding the proposed partnership between Ford and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL). Moolenaar highlighted CATL's designation as a Chinese military company and its alleged involvement in human rights abuses. He cautioned that supporting this partnership could inadvertently aid the Chinese military and compromise American manufacturing and national security.

On January 7, 2025, the U.S. Department of Defense added CATL to its list of Chinese military companies due to its ties to the Chinese military. This designation restricts CATL from certain engagements with the U.S. government and signals heightened scrutiny over its operations. CATL has contested this designation, asserting that it operates independently of military affiliations.

Investigations by the House Homeland Security Committee have revealed that CATL sources materials from entities implicated in forced labor practices in China's Xinjiang region. Specifically, CATL has been linked to the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), a paramilitary organization sanctioned by the U.S. for human rights violations. These findings have raised ethical and legal concerns regarding CATL's supply chain practices.

The Select Committee on the CCP is a bipartisan committee of the U.S. House of Representatives established to investigate and develop policy recommendations concerning strategic competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. The committee focuses on issues related to national security, economic interests, and human rights. It conducts hearings, investigations, and collaborates with various stakeholders to inform legislative actions, according to their website.