Akin Gump, the fourth largest lobbying firm in the country by revenue, is being paid to advocate for a polysilicon manufacturer led by an individual whom the U.S. government has linked to China’s repression of the Uyghur people.
In September 2025, Akin Gump entered into a lobbying contract with United Solar Polysilicon to represent its interests on trade policy, according to a March 31 disclosure. United Solar Polysilicon is led by its founder, Longgen Zhang.
Zhang was the CEO of Daqo New Energy, another polysilicon manufacturer, from 2018 to 2023, according to press releases. He also served as the vice chairman of Xinjiang Daqo New Energy, a subsidiary of the company based in China’s Uyghur-inhabited far west, from 2018 to 2022.
During his tenure at Daqo New Energy, the Chinese manufacturing magnate landed in hot water with the federal government multiple times over his links to the Chinese Communist Party’s repression of
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