Hunter Biden’s involvement with BHR Partners, an investment firm, has come under scrutiny for brokering deals that benefitted the Chinese electric vehicle and aluminum sectors. One deal involved facilitating a transaction in which a Chinese firm acquired a Congolese cobalt mine from American and Canadian companies. This move granted China Molybdenum, a state-owned enterprise, control over a significant source of cobalt, a crucial material in the manufacturing of electric vehicle batteries. These actions by BHR Partners drew attention due to the concerns about China dominating these markets.
Another deal involved BHR Partners buying and selling a stake in Chinese electric car battery maker CATL in the same year as the cobalt mine transaction. Additionally, emails from Hunter’s laptop revealed an attempt by BHR Partners to broker a deal between the US subsidiary of Chinese company Zhongwang and US aluminum manufacturer Aleris in 2015. Zhongwang and related companies faced indictments by the Justice Department in 2019 for an alleged scheme to avoid paying tariffs on aluminum goods.
Amidst these revelations, it was reported that Hunter Biden’s 10% stake in BHR Partners was supposedly purchased by his close associate Kevin Morris, a Hollywood lawyer, during Joe Biden’s first year as president. This raised questions about potential conflicts of interest and influence on US-China trade relations. President Joe Biden, in response to concerns over Chinese government subsidies for various industries, announced tariffs on Chinese imports, including electric vehicles, steel, and aluminum products.
Joe Biden emphasized the need to address China’s unfair trade practices, such as subsidies that allow Chinese companies to flood global markets with products at lower prices, impacting businesses worldwide. As a result, tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles will increase by 100% over the next two years, with tariffs on specific steel and aluminum products reaching 25% this year. These actions are intended to protect American industries from unfair competition and safeguard national interests.
An impeachment inquiry led by Congressional Republicans has also raised concerns about alleged family corruption involving the Bidens, particularly in their dealings with Chinese government-controlled businesses. Evidence has been presented suggesting that Joe Biden met with leaders of these ventures that included Hunter and his brother, James, as well as BHR Partners CEO Jonathan Li. These developments underscore ongoing scrutiny surrounding the Biden family’s financial dealings and potential conflicts of interest, particularly in relation to China.
