Staff Reports
A top Czech Republic military intelligence official is raising red flags about Chinese electric vehicles, cautioning that they could be gathering data and images as they travel. Jan Beroun, director of the Czech Republic’s Military Intelligence agency, expressed his concerns to the Czech Parliament, stressing that Chinese electric cars on their roads might be surveilling for the Chinese government, characterizing China as an adversary.
Chinese electric cars are a threat to security and siphon data: Czech military intelligence https://t.co/usphlz5xQL
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) June 2, 2024
Beroun cautioned that permitting Chinese electric cars in their country means allowing a moving sensor that collects data everywhere it goes, without knowing where that data could end up. He emphasized that China’s behavior in terms of security and espionage indicates that it poses a threat to their nation. The Czech military official also pointed out that Chinese companies are obligated to collaborate with their government, suggesting that the data collected by Chinese products, such as electric cars, could potentially be used by Chinese intelligence services.
Additionally, automotive expert Mike Caudill raised concerns about the potential for Chinese electric vehicles in America to gather data and share it with the Chinese government. Amid these worries, the United States has opted to discourage the import of Chinese EVs and impose a 100% tariff on them, with President Joe Biden taking action to address fears that China could undermine the U.S.’s electric vehicle efforts with low-cost products.
