The Guardian-Biden administration proposes rules to ban Chinese-made cars over spying fears
September 22, 2024 4 min 679 words
这篇报道的主要内容是，拜登政府提议禁止美国道路上出现中国制造的汽车，理由是担心汽车中的传感器和软件可能被用于间谍活动或数据收集。美国商务部提出的新规定，旨在阻止中国汽车进入美国市场，并保护美国国家安全和公民隐私。美国官员表示，中国制造的汽车可能威胁美国国家安全和关键基础设施，并强调汽车的联网特性带来了新的风险。美国官员还表示，中国预先在关键基础设施中植入恶意软件，这进一步证实了提议的合理性。 评论： 这篇报道体现了美国对中国技术发展及其全球影响力的担忧。然而，报道也暴露了美国保护主义和单边主义的倾向。首先，报道中没有确凿证据证明中国汽车制造商存在间谍活动，美国政府的决定似乎是基于假设性风险。其次，美国政府将此问题定义为国家安全问题，而不是贸易问题，这意味着美国可能在没有全面评估风险的情况下做出决定。第三，美国政府强调保护本土汽车工业免受中国竞争的影响，这表明其决定可能更多地受贸易保护主义思想驱动，而不是客观的国家安全评估。总之，美国对中国技术的担忧可能有其合理性，但美国政府的单边行动和保护主义倾向可能适得其反，阻碍技术进步和全球经济发展。
The Biden administration has proposed new rules that would in effect prohibit Chinese-made vehicles from US roads after a months-long investigation into software and digital connections that could be used to spy on Americans or sabotage the vehicles.
The proposed rules come as Chinese automakers become more powerful in global markets, exporting a flood of high-tech vehicles and posing new challenges to western manufacturers, with governments fearing that installed sensors, cameras and software could be used for espionage or other data collection purposes.
Chinese-made vehicles aren’t yet widespread on US roads but are becoming more common in Europe, Asia and other markets.
The new rules, described as a national security action coming out of the US chamber of commerce, focus on Vehicle Connectivity System (VCS) and software integrated into the Automated Driving System (ADS).
“Malicious access to these systems could allow adversaries to access and collect our most sensitive data and remotely manipulate cars on American roads,” the department said in a statement on Sunday.
It added: “Certain technologies originating from the PRC or Russia present an undue risk to both US critical infrastructure and those who use connected vehicles.”
US secretary of commerce Gina Raimondo said Chinese- or Russian-made in-vehicle cameras, microphones, GPS tracking and other technologies connected to the internet posed a “very real” threat to US drivers.
“It doesn’t take much imagination to understand how a foreign adversary with access to this information could pose a serious risk to both our national security and the privacy of US citizens,” Raimondo said.
“The reality is that cars today, or what we call connected vehicles, are connected to the internet, GPS, homes, microphones, cameras and sensors that can monitor what you do, where you go and what you say … and that comes with new risks.”
Software built by foreign adversaries can be used for surveillance and remotely-controlled, which threatens the security and safety of Americans on the road.
“In an extreme situation a foreign adversary could shut down to take control of all their vehicles operating in the US all at the same time, causing crashes, block roads etc,” Raimondo said.
The new rules prohibit car manufacturers from selling cars in the US with important components or software from China and Russia that communicate externally as well as autonomous driving systems.
The move is characterized as a national security action and not an an issue of trade. The US said that it was acting now to deter any national security threat before Chinese -made or Chinese technology-equipped connected vehicles are on US roads.
The crackdown could mirror the long-running UK, US and European crackdown on Chinese telecom giant Huawei, fearing undue Chinese influence on infrastructure security. Huawei has accused the US and western allies of using the cover of national security to fend off competitive challenges.
But the US crackdown on Chinese connected or equipped vehicles comes as US automakers have expressed alarm that Chinese-made electric vehicles, including some that cost as little as $10,000, also pose a competitive threat in the new electric vehicle market.
When Biden announced the investigation earlier this year into the issue of car-borne Chinese surveillance, he stressed his desire to protect US automakers. “With this and other actions, we’re going to make sure the future of the auto industry will be made here in America with American workers,” he said.
On Sunday, US national economic advisor Lael Brainard said that without the new rules foreign adversaries could “take advantage of vulnerabilities” and leverage the integrated nature of connected vehicles to engage in “surveillance or potential sabotage here on American soil”.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the administration had identified a range of national security risks associated with connected vehicles.
“We’ve already seen ample evidence of the PRC pre-positioning malware on our critical infrastructure for the purpose of disruption and sabotage. And with potentially millions of vehicles on the road, each with 10- to 15- year lifespans, the risk of disruption and sabotage increases dramatically,” he said.