Gotion Land Purchase Is The Wrong Direction For Michigan

Today, Congressman John Moolenaar criticized the purchase of 270 acres of land in Mecosta County by Gotion Inc., a subsidiary of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) affiliated Gotion High-Tech. The land purchase comes after the Michigan Strategic Fund approved additional taxpayer funded incentives for Gotion to build a battery component factory at the site, totaling $1.4 billion. 

"I will continue to do everything I can to bring to light the risks of this project. Mecosta County residents have overwhelmingly spoken out against this deal while being bullied and kept in the dark by Gotion and local officials who signed non-disclosure agreements that go against the public’s right to know. The simple facts are that Gotion is a subsidiary of a company that pledges allegiance to the CCP and it should not be receiving taxpayer money to build in Michigan. For our state to welcome CCP investment in Michigan 100 miles from the same facility where the Michigan National Guard has worked with military officials from Taiwan is a dangerous double standard that puts national security at risk. This land purchase is the wrong direction for Michigan and our communities," said Moolenaar. 

Last week, Moolenaar questioned former national director of counterespionage, Bill Evanina, who said the Gotion site will “100 percent” be used by the CCP for espionage. Gotion has said publicly it plans to bring 20-50 CCP-nationals to help in developing the Mecosta County site. 

In February, the Wall Street Journal reported that “the Michigan National Guard is also training a contingent of the Taiwanese military, including during annual exercises with multiple countries at Camp Grayling in northern Michigan, according to people familiar with the training."

Moolenaar is a member of the House Select Committee on the CCP.