Steve Cortes, founder of the League of American Workers, said that U.S. taxpayers are subsidizing Chinese battery maker CATL, which he claims expands Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence by partnering with Australian mining firms under President Biden's green policies. Cortes made this statement to Federal Newswire.
"We American taxpayers subsidize Chinese battery maker CATL, who then goes out and expands the CCP's influence in the Pacific, partnering with Australian mining conglomerates," said Cortes. "Not a winning strategy. We shouldn't fund Chinese firms and certainly not under the guise of so-called ‘green' Biden policies."
According to Reuters, mining giant BHP has signed preliminary agreements with Chinese battery leaders CATL and BYD to collaborate on battery technologies aimed at reducing emissions across its global operations. The deals include joint research into battery-powered solutions for heavy mining equipment and long-distance rail locomotives—key elements in BHP’s iron ore supply chain in Western Australia. The partnerships will also examine fast-charging infrastructure and battery recycling, offering potential not just to cut the miner’s greenhouse gas emissions but to lower energy costs as well.
As part of the initiative, BHP and BYD’s FinDreams Battery unit will explore developing electric vehicles for mine site use to help phase out diesel. This move supports BHP’s target to reduce operational emissions by at least 30% by 2030, although its climate goals trail behind peers like Rio Tinto and Fortescue. "This strategic relationship marks further progress in BHP’s work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said Rashpal Bhatti, BHP’s Chief Procurement Officer.
In January 2025, the U.S. Department of Defense officially designated CATL as a "Chinese military company," citing its ties to the CCP—with concerns that CATL’s batteries, which supply major U.S. automakers like Tesla and Ford, could pose national security risks or enable China’s military-civil fusion strategy.
Cortes is founder and president of the League of American Workers, a political advocacy group promoting patriotic populism focused on national sovereignty, decentralization of power, and populist economics. He has been a prominent media figure since 2007 with appearances on CNBC, Fox News, and CNN and served as a senior advisor and spokesman for Donald Trump’s campaigns in both 2016 and 2020.
