LANSING, Mich. — United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain expressed strong opposition to the possibility of a Chinese automaker opening manufacturing plants in the United States, a prospect recently suggested by former President Donald Trump. Speaking at a UAW conference on September 15 in Lansing, Fain criticized the idea as a betrayal of American workers and raised concerns about national security.
Fain’s remarks followed comments Trump made during an interview last week in which he appeared open to allowing Chinese companies to produce vehicles on U.S. soil. Trump said he would support such moves if they involved hiring American labor, drawing comparisons to Japanese automakers that have established local manufacturing facilities. He also expressed opposition to China building plants in Mexico to ship vehicles across the southern border into the U.S.
Trump’s willingness to entertain Chinese investment in domestic auto manufacturing dates back several years, including statements during his 2026 campaign for the White House. “If they want to come in, and build the plant, and hire you and hire your friends and your neighbors, that’s great,” he said at the Detroit Economic Club earlier this year. “Let China come in. Let Japan come in. They are, and they’ll be building plants, but they’re using our labor.”
At the UAW event, Fain took a more critical stance, warning that allowing Chinese involvement in the sector posed economic and national security risks. “I’m always amazed ... at election time, when certain political parties and politicians want to talk about communists and how evil communism is, but every time it comes time to do business, they’re standing there at the door with their hand out, waiting to make money off of it,” he said.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, also speaking at the conference, said Trump’s purported tough stance on China seemed to be eroding. “It feels like a huge capitulation,” El-Sayed said. The UAW has been a key supporter of El-Sayed’s campaign for Michigan’s open Senate seat, where he faces Republican former U.S. Representative Mike Rogers.
Rogers’ campaign issued a statement firmly opposing Chinese auto manufacturing in the United States. Spokeswoman Alyssa Brouillet said, “Mike has worked on an auto factory floor; there is no one who understands the value of Michigan auto jobs or the national security stakes better than Mike Rogers.” She added that Rogers is against any move that would undercut the Big Three automakers based in Michigan.
Legislative efforts reflecting these concerns are underway in Congress. Senators Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat from Michigan, and Bernie Moreno, a Republican from Ohio, have introduced a bipartisan bill to ban the sale of Chinese vehicles domestically, citing economic and national security reasons. Similar legislation exists in the House, sponsored by Michigan Representatives Debbie Dingell (D) and John Moolenaar (R).
The issue has gained renewed attention ahead of an anticipated state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on September 24. Industry watchers and union leaders alike remain apprehensive that this visit could prompt policies facilitating further Chinese manufacturing involvement in the U.S. auto market.