A Ford Motor Co. battery plant investment sought by Michigan and Virginia that would have created roughly 2,500 jobs was rejected by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a potential Republican candidate for president, over his objections to the involvement of a Chinese partner. “While Ford is an iconic American company, it became clear that this proposal would serve as a front for the Chinese Communist party, which could compromise our economic security and Virginians’ personal privacy,” Youngkin spokesperson Macaulay Porter said in a statement to The Detroit News. “Virginians can be confident that c…