U.S. lawmakers blast Canada over sale of lithium mining company to Chinese firm – by Richard Madan (CTV News – February 23, 2022)

https://www.ctvnews.ca/

A trio of U.S. lawmakers are blasting Canada’s “complicit approval” that allowed the sale of a Toronto-listed lithium mining company to a Chinese state-owned firm, and are urging Biden administration officials to investigate the acquisition.

In a letter to several U.S. Cabinet secretaries obtained by CTV News, Rep. Michael Walz (R-Florida), Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Lance Gooden (R-TX) describe the takeover of Neo Lithium Corp by China’s Zijin Mining Group Ltd. as “highly concerning,” and accuse the Canadian government of underestimating “the threat imposed by the Chinese Communist Party.”

The lawmakers question if U.S. government officials were aware or notified of the transaction. “I was astonished that this was approved without much scrutiny from Prime Minister (Justin) Trudeau’s government,” Rep. Walz said to CTV News.

“China’s increased economic influence over companies in both the U.S. and Canada is a grave national security threat, especially as it pertains to critical minerals that are essential to the future of U.S. energy independence.”

For the rest of this article: https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/u-s-lawmakers-blast-canada-over-sale-of-lithium-mining-company-to-chinese-firm-1.5793505