A person familiar with the matter revealed that the Chinese high -level programs have an additional review of the cooperation projects reached by the US Ford and the Chinese battery company Ningde Times to ensure the safety of the core technologies of the Ningde Times.This is another proof of the complexity of business activities in China and the United States.
According to Bloomberg News on Friday (February 17), Ford said on Monday (13th) that the cooperation will enable the Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery technology in the Ningde era to useEssenceFord's investment in this new factory has a total of US $ 3.5 billion (about S $ 4.7 billion). The company is both an operator and the controller.
People familiar with the matter said that after the project was approved by the Chinese government's technical safety supervision, senior Chinese officials made additional review instructions.Although this cooperation reflects China's technological advantages and highlights its contribution to stable global supply chain, Chinese officials still want to ensure that the project will not cause core technologies to leak, or conflict with China's sanctions with American institutions and individuals.
People familiar with the matter said that the results of the review will be reported to the senior management of the Chinese government, and it is not clear how these censorship will be carried out or how long.One of the people familiar with the matter said that there were no signs that the review would stop the project.
Other people familiar with the matter said that the plan is subject to additional security in China, on the one hand, the importance of the transaction itself, and on the other hand, considering its impact on Sino -US relations.
Because the information is not disclosed, the person familiar with the matter is unwilling to be named.The Ministry of Commerce, Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology have not responded to Bloomberg's comment on Thursday (16th).Ningde's era did not respond to comment requests.
Ford said in an email statement, "We don't know that Chinese officials have any intervention in this matter."
On the other hand, Mark Warner, chairman of the American Senate Intelligence Committee, criticized that Beijing's review was both ironic and hypocritical.
Waner said that companies in Western countries must transfer technologies to their peers in the past 20 years, or have been secretly stolen by business spies, but now Beijing requires this cooperation against the United States and China (Ford and Ningde Times)Overall censorship is really hypocritical."They (Beijing) have been forced to transfer and steal technology, but now they need to operate in reverse."
