U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, have raised national security concerns in a letter to several major Chinese automakers, urging them to disclose their connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The Senators highlighted the potential risks posed by Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) entering the U.S. market, emphasizing the CCP’s control over Chinese industries and its possible access to sensitive data.
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China, which became the world’s second-largest vehicle exporter last year, has flooded the global market with Chinese-made EVs. Blackburn and Peters warned that the CCP could leverage the technology embedded in these vehicles to access U.S. citizens’ personal data and critical infrastructure.
They cautioned that if Chinese-connected vehicles become widespread in the U.S., the CCP could theoretically control or disable these cars at will.
The letter was sent to the leaders of prominent Chinese automakers, including Geely Holding, Great Wall Motors Group, SAIC Motor, Chery Automobile, FAW Group, Dongfeng Motor, BYD, and GAC Group.
“The global automotive market is being flooded with Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs). In fact, in 2023, China became the second largest exporter of vehicles in the world. Given the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s control of industry in China, we are deeply concerned that Chinese automakers are beholden to the regime and that the technology used in Chinese-made automobiles could be leveraged by the CCP for nefarious purposes. The data security of both American citizens and the critical infrastructure of our nation must be prioritized,” the lawmakers said.
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“It is well documented that the CCP and Chinese intelligence agencies are provided access to data stored in China or accessible by companies incorporated in China for the purpose of ‘national security.’ Specifically, experts have sounded the alarm regarding the control of data for connected vehicles manufactured by companies incorporated in China, particularly when it comes to the potential for unauthorized access by the CCP to vehicle systems, data collection, and surveillance capabilities embedded within the vehicle’s technology,” they continued.
“Modern vehicles are equipped with video cameras and sensors both within and outside the vehicle that are capable of continuously monitoring the vehicle’s surroundings and passengers… In the hands of our adversaries—they could be used to map our critical infrastructure and roads, track the movements of U.S. citizens, provide access to the electric grid, and generally surveil Americans… Over-the-Air (OTA) update systems found in Chinese-made vehicles also raise security concerns. OTA updates—or the digital software updates intended to ensure that a vehicle runs efficiently and safely—in a Chinese-made vehicle could be vulnerable to malicious activity, opening a window for an adversary to push compromised software to Americans’ vehicles. If Chinese-made EVs proliferate in the U.S., the CCP could theoretically control or disable vehicles in the United States at will,” they said.
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The Senators’ letter underscores growing bipartisan concerns about foreign-controlled technology and its potential impact on U.S. security, calling for greater transparency from Chinese automakers as they expand into the American market.
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