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Republican Lawmakers Push Defense Department To Blacklist Chinese EV Battery Company Tied To CCP

Republican lawmakers are calling on the Department of Defense (DOD) to ban Chinese electric vehicle (EV) battery makers from receiving U.S. military contracts and to prevent their U.S. customers from using their services.

Republican Rep. John Moulenaar of Michigan and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida letter It asked the Pentagon on Wednesday to ask EV battery maker CATL to add the 1260H. list The bill identifies the company as “involved in bolstering Beijing's military ambitions” and bars it from receiving defense contracts. Lawmakers accuse CATL of being controlled by China through subsidies and tax breaks. [and] The objective is to secure “lucrative procurement contracts” from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and advance the interests of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) by supporting battery infrastructure. (Related: Republican lawmakers urge Biden administration to blacklist major Chinese battery companies with U.S. interests)

“U.S. policymakers have an obligation to firmly oppose any efforts by U.S. adversaries that threaten U.S. national and economic security,” Moulenaar and Rubio wrote. “By including CATL on the Section 1260H list, the Department of Defense will not only protect U.S. military infrastructure from threats from the PLA, but will also send a strong signal to U.S. companies currently considering partnering with CATL.”

The letter comes after the U.S. military had already taken steps to scale back its ties with CATL, with the Marine Corps removing one of the company's batteries from its energy storage system at Camp Lejeune in February and the Navy pledging in April to only buy U.S.-made or allied batteries. According to Reuters and Military News Website military.com.

But the company remains active in U.S. industry, including providing technology to Ford's battery manufacturing plant in Michigan and developing battery energy storage systems in Texas, the letter said.

Beyond receiving subsidies and procurement contracts, the letter also alleges that CATL is linked to the Chinese Communist Party through formal contracts. partnership It has partnered with China Mobile, the Chinese telecommunications company that came under federal investigation in June for allegedly providing U.S. data to Beijing, according to Reuters. ReportedMeanwhile, the letter alleges that CATL's founder and largest shareholder, Zeng Yuqun, is an “ardent” supporter of the Chinese Communist Party and a graduate of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a “state-sponsored organization” with close ties to the People's Liberation Army and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. [Military-Civil Fusion] “Ecosystem”

“CATL's extensive ties to the People's Liberation Army and the Chinese Communist Party's MCF strategies demonstrate that the company meets the criteria for inclusion on the Section 1260H list,” the letter said. “We expect the Department of Defense to promptly add CATL to this list and diligently implement steps to prevent further exposure of U.S. forces to CATL systems.”

CATL and the Department of Defense did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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