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Two top US lawmakers have called on the Pentagon to blacklist a Chinese EV battery manufacturer over its ties to the Chinese government.
What’s the deal: Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Representative John Moolenaar (R-MI), chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, have requested the Pentagon add Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL), the world’s largest EV battery maker, to a restricted entity list. In their letter, they seek to block CATL from receiving Pentagon contracts due to its alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party and the People’s Liberation Army, which they warn could threaten US national security.
What is the Restricted entity list?: The restricted entity list, managed by various US agencies, including the Department of Commerce and Defense, targets foreign companies and individuals who pose national security risks or are linked to adversarial governments. Those on the list are barred from US contracts, certain technologies, and business dealings with US companies.
Letter to the Pentagon: In their letter, both lawmakers wrote, “CATL’s connections to the CCP, and its armed wing, the People’s Liberation Army, are extensive and obvious. A Foundation for Defense of Democracies report revealed that CATL, thanks to preferential treatment by the CCP, has enjoyed ‘subsidies, tax incentives, favorable procurement deals, and additional policy benefits.’ 1 These benefits propelled CATL toward its massive 37.5 percent share of the global electric vehicle battery market, which the company boasted about on X just last month.” They added, “US policymakers have a duty to stand in resolute opposition to any effort by America’s adversaries that threatens our national and economic security.”
Chinese media reacts: The Global Times, a Chinese state-sponsored news outlet, quoted He Weiwen, a senior fellow from the Center for China and Globalization, who said, “Out of their Cold War mentality, a number of US politicians tend to play up the narrative of ‘national security’ threat to crack down on Chinese high-tech companies.” They continued, “Instead of continuing to expand its ‘small yard, high fence’ approach, the US should sit down with China to seek practical cooperation, which will bring sufficient benefits for the US side.”
