[ [link removed] ][IMG]

I wanted to take a minute today to talk about an issue that all Americans—but especially Michiganders—should be thinking about: the national security threat of Chinese-made connected vehicles — both electric vehicles and potentially autonomous vehicles — flooding the domestic market.

The most relevant comparison for me is the European Union, where the first subsidized Chinese vehicle was sold only in 2020–they now make up nearly 25% of the European market for electric cars.

I’m concerned about this for two reasons.

First, as a former CIA officer, I’m concerned about the national security threat. A fleet of Chinese-made vehicles collecting photos, videos, radar, maps and location data would offer the Chinese government an opportunity to collect a wealth of information inside the U.S., including about military installations and critical infrastructure. This would give the Chinese government extremely detailed information that could be used for everything from military and intelligence targeting to knowing where individual leaders are at any given time. The Chinese government knows that such a huge volume of data would be valuable, because they don’t allow U.S. companies operating in China to have access to the equivalent data on Chinese cities and sites.

Secondly, as a Michigander, I’m concerned about our economic security, particularly the threat of what cheap, subsidized Chinese vehicles would do to our domestic auto manufacturers and their employees. These vehicles are made artificially cheap thanks to Chinese government subsidies, making it nearly impossible for American companies to compete on an even playing field. What’s more, these Chinese car companies are looking at opening facilities in Mexico, enabling them to take advantage of provisions of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), what used to be called NAFTA, to access the American market.

Once these Chinese-made vehicles enter the U.S., it becomes really difficult to put the toothpaste back in the tube. It’s becoming increasingly clear that the future of global strategic competition isn’t just about tanks and airplanes, but rather about data — massive volumes of data — and who controls it. Without a process to vet these imports with a national security lens, we’re ceding a tremendous amount of data to the Chinese government.

I believe that one of the responsibilities of a Member of Congress isn’t just about dealing with the threats we face today, but also looking around the corner and getting ahead of future threats. That’s also the responsibility of a Senator, which is why I’m looking to earn your support in getting there.
Thanks for reading!

Elissa

CONTRIBUTE: [link removed]
 


You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time:
[link removed]