The US town, the Chinese company and the bankrupting battle over a battery plant (opens in new tab)

Less than three years ago, residents of a small rural township in the US state of Michigan packed a community hall to celebrate what many saw as a victory for local democracy over a Chinese-headquartered battery manufacturer. The residents of Green Charter Township prayed, cheered and congratulated one another for overturning a town board that had supported Gotion’s proposed US$2.36 billion electric vehicle battery project. As the new board quickly rescinded the Gotion plan, the residents...