Gotion Inc., a company tied to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is set to gain more than $1 billion in taxpayer money and incentives for building factories in Michigan and Illinois, according to public announcements.
Gotion Inc. plans to construct two electric battery plants in Michigan and one in Illinois, securing commitments in funding and benefits totaling over $1.25 billion, according to announcements by the states’ governors. The company is based in California, but it is “wholly owned and controlled” by CCP-connected Gotion High-Tech Power Energy Co., which is based in China, according to a Foreign Agents Registration Act filing.
Gotion Inc. will build an electric vehicle battery gigafactory in Illinois that will commence production in 2024, according to an announcement by Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the company on Friday.
“Gotion’s total incentive package from the State of Illinois … is valued at $536 million,” the announcement reads. “Gotion is eligible to receive tax benefits totaling $213 million over 30 years.”
“The [Reimagining Energy and Vehicles] agreement specifies a minimum company investment of $1.9 billion and the creation of 2,600 full-time jobs that are paid at least 120% of the average wage of similar job classifications in Kankakee County,” it continues. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Video Shows Employees At Chinese Firm Behind US Battery Plant Builder Wearing Red Army Outfits, Pledging Life To CCP)
Illinois is leading the charge, literally.
Gotion’s new EV lithium battery manufacturing plant is coming to our state — the largest EV battery investment here EVER at $2 billion.⁰
It will create 2,600 good-paying jobs and help our goal of putting 1M EVs on our roads by 2030. pic.twitter.com/AIRlEYuV4b— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) September 8, 2023
Gotion Inc. received commitments for $175 million in grants and $540 million in tax breaks from Michigan, totaling $715 million. The state committed the benefits due to Gotion Inc. building two electric vehicle battery factories in Big Rapids, investing $2.36 billion and generating 2,350 jobs, Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced in October.
President Joe Biden’s Committee on Foreign Investment approved Gotion Inc.’s Michigan project in June, despite intense criticism from local residents. The company also anticipates receiving millions of dollars in tax credits for its battery production due to Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, The Information reported.
Gotion High-Tech employs hundreds of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members, including its CEO, Li Zhen, according to its 2022 ESG report.
“Gotion High-Tech founded a CCP branch in 2010 that was upgraded to a CCP committee in 2014,” the report states. “The CCP committee’s subunits are two CCP general branches and 11 party branches, currently with 923 CCP members, among which over 50% hold master’s degrees or higher.”
Gotion High-Tech also has corporate bylaws establishing a CCP committee within the company.
“The Party Committee of the Company shall perform its duties in accordance with the Constitution of the Communist Party of China and other Party regulations,” the bylaws state.
Whitmer, Pritzker, Gotion Inc. and Gotion High-Tech did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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