In a recent editorial, The Washington Examiner discussed concerns about American companies forming partnerships with Chinese firms that could threaten national security. The article referenced actions taken by the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, including a letter sent to Ford CEO Jim Farley regarding Ford’s partnership with Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL), a company designated by the Department of War as connected to the Chinese military.
The editorial noted that Representative John Moolenaar (R-MI), chairman of the committee, questioned Ford’s plans to use technology licensed from CATL for U.S. battery manufacturing facilities. Moolenaar warned that such arrangements might violate laws prohibiting tax credits for licensing agreements with restricted foreign entities. He also asked whether Ford is working with BYD, another Chinese auto manufacturer, cautioning that this could affect Ford’s reputation as an American company.
Ford “should work with our nation’s allies, not our adversaries,” Moolenaar said.
The editorial criticized American businesses for supporting and enabling the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) through these partnerships. It argued that while China offers promises of profit and market access, these benefits are often short-lived because the CCP seeks to acquire foreign technology and intellectual property rather than allow independent business operations in China.
Citing former Defense Intelligence Agency officials David R. Shedd and Andrew Badger’s book “The Great Heist,” the editorial stated: “Their loss undermines the very military advantage that has underwritten decades of global stability and American primacy.”
The piece also highlighted findings from a December 2025 report by the House Select Committee on China which found evidence of U.S. taxpayer-funded research being conducted in collaboration with Chinese entities tied to China’s defense sector. The investigation uncovered “a pervasive and deeply troubling pattern of U.S. taxpayer-funded research being conducted in collaboration with Chinese entities that are directly tied to China’s defense research and industrial base–many of which appear on U.S. government national security entity lists.”
According to its official website, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party is a bipartisan group within the U.S. House of Representatives tasked with analyzing economic and security challenges posed by competition with China and developing policy recommendations to address them (https://chinaselectcommittee.house.gov/). The committee holds hearings, issues reports, proposes legislation aimed at strengthening U.S. competitiveness against China, addresses supply chain vulnerabilities, technology rivalry, and other threats related to national security.
The editorial concluded: “America is practically giving away its hard-won advantages. That’s a recipe for disaster and defeat for the U.S. and its allies. It must be stopped.”