MICHIGAN'S HEADACHES
Otie McKinley, media and communications manager of Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), told Xinhua in October that the U.S.-China trade dispute had impacted Michigan's trade links with China.
"Michigan's unemployment rate is near historic lows and growth is strong. Still, the impacts on our business with China are noticeable," he said.
Michigan hosts the largest number of Chinese-owned automotive facilities in the United States, according to an Automotive News report. Citing the latest research by ZoZo Go LLC, the report said in November that there are a total of 84 Chinese-owned automotive sites in Michigan, 43 percent of the nation's total. Most of these facilities are in the Detroit area.
According to the Michigan-China Innovation Center, since 2000, some 300 Chinese companies have invested 4.2 billion dollars in Michigan, much of it in manufacturing. Chinese firms account for 6,000 jobs across the Michigan state, which ranks No. 3 in the country in terms of the number of investment deals by Chinese companies.
Chinese enterprises and corporations are intended to keep participating in the global chain of car making in Michigan, one of the automotive industry's global hubs and home to more than three-quarters of all automotive research and development in North America.
"Over the past several years, Beijing has steadily pumped billions of dollars' worth of investment into Michigan, buying crumbling factories, building new ones and supporting more than 10,000 jobs in the state," The New York Times once reported in an article entitled "Trump's Trade War With China Pierces the Heart of Michigan."
Just as the title suggests, the newspaper also noted that China's boon to Michigan had been partly blocked by the U.S. government's trade policy towards China. The headaches were so severe that they could never be cured at the state level.
"As (U.S. President) Mr. Trump tries to punish China with tariffs and other restrictions, Michigan is caught in the cross hairs, with its ability to remain competitive and develop emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles, robotics and artificial intelligence highly dependent on ties to international markets, including China," the report added.
