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Metals Dispute Reveals Gulf Between U.S. Companies and Leaders on China

by Cobus van Staden
File image of the Tesla Fremont Factory in the United States. JOSH EDELSON / AFP

Amid the tensions and sniping surrounding the U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s possible visit to Taiwan, it’s revealing how the country’s corporations and officials seem to be pulling in different directions on China. 

U.S. officials frame China as Voldemort’s less charming cousin. However, coverage of the automotive sector this week shows that U.S. companies view cooperation with China more warmly. Even as the Biden administration is trying to relocate battery supply chains to the U.S. for geopolitical reasons, Ford and Tesla’s choice of long-term deals with Chinese battery makers proves that China’s decade-long strategic focus on the battery sector is paying off.

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