A major U.S. battery maker that is the recipient of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding heavily relies on technology from a Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-operated company.
That’s the finding of a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation that reviewed multiple Chinese media reports over the connection.
Nothing to see here. Just more for the Big Guy 👇
The Dept of Energy awarded KORE Power an $850 million loan to construct its KOREPlex battery-cell production facility in AZ. KOREPlex will rely on tech from CCP manufacturing co, Do-Flouride New Materialshttps://t.co/LPkXRFOFAM
— Joe Has Dementia (@RokerGlasses) June 27, 2023
KORE Power is an advanced battery manufacturer that recently received a conditional commitment from the Biden administration for an $850 million loan. The “KOREPlex” facility will be 40 miles west of Phoenix and employ 3,000 full-time workers.
However, the Chinese connections for this White House-backed company run deep.
KOREPlex is expected to depend on technology from the manufacturer’s long-time Chinese partner, Do-Flouride New Materials (DFD), as reported on Wednesday by the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office Director Jigar Shah.
In the interview conducted last week, Shah did not disclose that DFD has well-established ties to the CCP.
In fact, Beijing’s communist leadership in 2021 awarded DFD Chairman Li Shijiang the title of “Outstanding Communist Party Member,” according to Xinhua News Agency.
Two years earlier, Li was recognized as one of 19 “Outstanding Veterans of the Year” of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). This honor was reported by the Chinese military news organization PLA Daily, and there are several more ties to follow between DFD and the CCP.
Reuters reported that DFD’s deputy general manager, Xue Xujin, was listed as a CCP member in 2016.
The company’s internal CCP committee was honored by the nation’s communists as an outstanding segment of the party. News outlet Henan Daily detailed the accomplishment of being named to the “National Advanced Grassroots Party Organization.”
These committees, often referred to as “cells,” are mechanisms within the communist society for the national party to keep a close watch on compliance with Marxist ideology. Beijing calls these traits “Chinese characteristics.”
DFD’s primary importance to KORE is in manufacturing the Mark 1 battery. According to a 2019 statement, the framework of the assembly process to be implemented in the U.S. plant will come from the Chinese company’s practices.
It is apparent that KOREPlex will hardly serve to replace DFD in the battery manufacturing process. Instead, the Biden-sponsored company will serve to advance DFD’s interests.
