BIG RAPIDS, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – After a weekend rendezvous between Gotion High-tech, Co. Ltd officials and a delegation of Islamic Republic of Iran government and business officials, former U.S. officials are seeking a halt on Michigan’s Gotion Electric Vehicle project. 

According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, a meeting occurred between Iran’s Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, as well as Gotion CEO Li Zhen at the company’s headquarters in Hefei, People’s Republic of China. 

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In a letter penned to Michigan’s leaders including Governor Gretchen Whitmer, former U.S. Ambassadors Pete Hoekstra and Joseph Cella began by condemning the Gotion project. 

“We condemn that PRC-based and CCP-tied Gotion who may receive hundreds of millions of dollars from our strapped and hard working Michigan taxpayers is now courting business from the Islamic Republic of Iran, that is designated a state sponsor of terrorism, including Hamas,” the letter said. 

Moreover, the letter also highlighted, according to the Wall Street Journal, that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had a hand in training the terrorist led attacks on Israeli citizens in the Gaza Strip on October 7. 

“Recent intelligence indicates several hundred Hamas militants received specialized combat training in Iran by the IRGC’s Quds Force before the barbaric October 7 attack on Israel,” the letter added. 

As a result of several concerns about Iran’s global influence and ties, the former ambassadors called for a halt of the Gotion project in Michigan, particularly to the Governor and Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). 

“Is it any wonder the PRC-based and CCP-tied Gotion who is intertwined with the totalitarian and genocidal PRC/CCP regime has ties to Iran?” the letter said. “Gotion’s ties to Iran are further evidence of the corrupted nature of the parties to this “deal”, and we call on Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the MEDC to cancel the “deal” with Gotion.”

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Supporters of similar projects have advocated primarily for the jobs that could be produced by the project including Jim Durian, CEO of Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance (MAEDA). 

 “We are aware of the current pause on work and we remain confident of the enormous potential of Ford’s BlueOval Battery Park project to create local opportunities and thousands of local jobs,” Durian said in a statement to Michigan News Source.

Governor Whitmer highlighted that the project, among others including the currently halted Ford BlueOval Battery Park plant, could reduce Michigan’s supply chain reliance for EV’s and their components. 

“These new battery plants will be game changers: supporting thousands of families, uplifting local businesses, and ensuring our cities and towns thrive for decades to come,” Gov. Whitmer said, “They’ll help Michigan go toe to toe with China, bringing critical parts of the auto supply chain home. We must reduce our reliance on Chinese products, which have caused work stoppages, shortages, and car price hikes over the last few years.”  

Opponents, including GOP Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, have raised concerns mostly about the potential security threats as the company has ties to China, and using taxpayer dollars. 

“You want to buy an EV, I’m fine with that, we don’t need to use our taxpayer dollars to subsidize it; we’re not just subsidizing EVs at home, we are subsidizing the CCP,” he said. “Because those EVs require batteries made in China.” 

A report published earlier this month showed that Michiganders overwhelmingly oppose spending taxpayer dollars on projects that are connected to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), like Gotion.