Regarding splitting the company into North and South American separate companies, the political implications that would engender such a move are illustrated by the move the U.S. took against China's Huawei some time ago, for "security reasons" and the move that Canada takes today against the same company. 

Different industry, agreed, but the fact that Chinese companies are being banned and certainly closely scrutinized here in the U.S. and in Canada speaks to the concerns that Jon Evans must have in regard to continuing LAC's close ties with China as those ties apply, at least, to the future aspirations of LAC here north of the U.S. Mexican border.  As for Mexico, they have recently "nationalized" the lithium industry there:

Mexico Nationalises Its Lithium Industry (internationalbanker.com)

Esperanto: Canada to ban China's Huawei and ZTE from its 5G networks (freedomvalue.blogspot.com)

And the beat goes on and on and on...  Jon Evans sees through the FOG and realizes that the once advantageous Ganfeng connection regarding financial and mining expertise benefits for aligning with Ganfeng in Argentina may not, and probably will not, have anywhere near the same positive benefits for LAC's operations in North America.  Just ask Huawei!  Or ZTE.

The U.S. and Canadian governments don't have far to look for ties binding LAC and Ganfeng.  Just look at the LAC Board of Directors:

LAC | Lithium Americas Corp. Company Profile & Executives - WSJ

Lithium Americas

On the other hand, the "Ganfeng connection" is still more than a little valuable for all South American LAC operations, very advantageous in view of how Ganfeng and China are "bros" to Argentina, but "bros" in South America might not have the same family values and loyalty when they vacation or immigrate to  the North of the Rio Grande. 

That emigration from South America to North America might be about as acceptable to Canadian and U.S. governments as if several of the major cartels were establishing headquarters in the Willis Tower in Chicago on the top floor.  Just sayin'

Splitting the company keeps the "bro" benefit for what would be the Son of LAC for South America while allowing the Yankee North American Son to thrive unfettered by his South American relatives, now distant cousins, so to speak.  LAC gets the best of both worlds by splitting things off at the Rio Grande.  New Board of Directors sans Ganfeng for the North and "Hello Bro Ganfeng" for the South.  A Win Win post split.

Or so the world as I see it.

Okiedo