July 31 news, the British "Guardian" recently published an article, said Foxconn announced plans to invest about 10 billion US dollars in the United States in Wisconsin to build a state-of-the-art liquid crystal display factory, the news was widely promoted in the United States. But Wisconsin has a disturbing history in economic development. As a supplier of technology giants such as Apple, Google and Amazon, Foxconn lacks a good record in fulfilling its promises. Therefore, people should remain vigilant about whether or not the plan can be finalized. Proponents stated that the deal will create 13,000 jobs in six years - in return for the reported $3 billion subsidy provided by the state. Only 3,000 of these jobs will be honored immediately. In addition, according to the "Washington Post" report, Foxconn has failed to fulfill the promise of similar employment opportunities in the past. In 2013, the company announced plans to invest US$30 million in Pennsylvania and recruit 500 people. However, this plan eventually came to an end. Wisconsin governor and Republican Scott Walker was elected in 2010 and promised to bring 250,000 jobs to the state during the campaign. So far, he has not achieved this promise. If the Foxconn project is successful, it will be very helpful in repairing his damaged reputation. The project was advertised as not only a major victory for Walker, but also the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, whose constituency may be the seat of the proposed factory. A senior U.S. government official stated at a press conference that the news was "significant" because "it is a milestone in bringing advanced manufacturing, especially the electronics industry back to the United States." Trump's slogan in the general election is "Let the United States be great once again." Therefore, he has a certain appeal to workers who are deeply affected by the decline in U.S. manufacturing. Trump pointed out that the huge foreign trade deficit is the crux of the US economic problems, and he can do better. On Wednesday, Trump said at the White House: "If I was not elected president, Foxconn will never invest 10 billion U.S. dollars in the United States." According to Ryan, the news shows that the president is committed to "promoting the return of manufacturing and new jobs to the United States." Around the return of manufacturing, there have been major news reports. Earlier this week, Trump told The Wall Street Journal that Apple plans to build three "large" factories in the United States. However, Apple has not confirmed this news. Walker refers to the future of the Foxconn factory in Wisconsin as the "Wisconsin Valley." However, an article published on the Yahoo Finance website stated that Foxconn's factory likes to use robots. Wisconsin may see that Foxconn may have fewer jobs than they expected. At the same time, Foxconn is located in a large factory in mainland China and its work environment has proved to be controversial. For example, there have been several incidents of worker suicide at the Foxconn factory in Shenzhen Longhua. Wisconsin Democrat Jennifer Shilling criticized the deal. She said: "The most important point is that this company has a worrying record: some of its major plans are often not implemented. Given the lack of details, I am skeptical of this transaction. We must consider that a Whether or not the $1 billion to $3 billion corporate subsidy package has been approved by the legislature." Currently, the Wisconsin state legislature is controlled by Republicans. Their adoption of this subsidy plan does not require bipartisan support and it is most likely to pass the plan beyond the budget process. Vigilant case Historically, Foxconn’s investment agreements in Indonesia, India, Vietnam, and Brazil have not been fully implemented. For example, in India, the company promised to invest 5 billion U.S. dollars in five years to create 50,000 jobs. According to the Washington Post, this goal is far from being achieved. Workplace safety issues will also threaten Foxconn's projects in Wisconsin; and the recent US “work rights†legislative activities will affect the relationship between workers and companies. According to media reports, Foxconn's factory in Wisconsin is three times the size of the Pentagon. In terms of job creation, the project will be one of the largest foreign investment projects in U.S. history. Foxconn promised that the average annual salary of its Wisconsin factory workers will reach 53,000 US dollars. The Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader’s office and Walker did not respond to the nature of these jobs or what kind of training they needed. Foxconn produces displays and assembles mobile phones and computers. It is famous for its cooperation with Apple. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) participated in the state’s transactions with Foxconn. Walker briefly participated in the presidential election in the United States in 2016, and the doubts arising from several non-performing loans interfered with his election campaign. A businessman and Republican donor named Ron Van Den Heuvel in the state was accused of fraudulently borrowing $700,000 from local banks. In the months following the establishment of the WEDC, the agency led by Walker had loaned him more than $1.2 million without conducting a background check. In addition, Wisconsin almost completely abolishes the income tax on manufacturers and agricultural producers, which is widely criticized as "a simple refund to a millionaire." According to reports, six states in the United States have negotiated with Foxconn on the establishment of a factory. Joe Peacock of the Wisconsin Budget Project Office pointed out that in order to win in this match, the total cost of property tax relief and employment training costs promised by Wisconsin may exceed $3 billion. He said similar deals often end up as a "zero-sum game" in the U.S. states. (Liu Chun)
