As the meeting between President Trump and the Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping approaches, the entry of Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) into North America through Canada has once again raised concerns across various sectors. Experts are warning that these vehicles could become “mobile spy machines” used by the CCP to conduct large-scale surveillance on the United States, posing a serious threat to national security.
Before the highly anticipated Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing this week, Gordon Chang, a senior researcher at the Gatestone Institute, appeared on the Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” show on Monday (May 11) to discuss Chinese trade practices, energy policies, and the tensions sparked by Beijing’s expansion of EVs in North America with host Maria Bartiromo.
Chang emphasized on the show that the CCP not only weakens American industries through trade subsidies but also sees cars as “mobile sensor arrays.” He warned that Canada’s recent decision to reduce import tariffs on certain Chinese EVs could open up a covert pathway for these vehicles to enter the United States.
“We should not allow Canadians to drive their Chinese EVs across the border into our country because China (the CCP) will be able to use these Canadian vehicles to conduct surveillance on the United States,” Chang sternly pointed out.
In January, Canada and the CCP reached a new strategic partnership and subsequently implemented trade regulations on March 1, drastically reducing tariffs on Chinese EVs from the previous 100% (in alignment with the U.S.) to 6.1%, with an annual import quota of 49,000 vehicles. This policy shift has caused a significant divergence in trade positions between Canada and the Trump administration, raising high concerns in the U.S. about Canada becoming a “transit station” for Chinese EVs to evade high tariffs and penetrate the North American market.
Chang described these vehicles as “mobile spy machines,” calling it a microcosm of the broader tensions between Washington and Beijing.
Currently, U.S. lawmakers are actively pushing for legislation aimed at blocking Chinese EVs from entering the American market entirely. The reason behind this is the fear that these vehicles, equipped with advanced monitoring technology and interconnected systems, have the capability to collect and transmit sensitive data.
Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno recently issued a warning on the Fox News show “Sunday Morning Futures,” describing these vehicles as essentially “Trojan horses.”
“These cars come with a large number of cameras that feed data back to the Communist Party and can be remotely controlled by the Communist Party,” Moreno stated.
According to Reuters, the U.S. Department of Commerce has initiated an investigation into Chinese connected vehicles, focusing on whether the onboard software can monitor American drivers’ behaviors, collect sensitive infrastructure data, and even allow foreign actors to remotely intervene in vehicle operations. Due to the cameras, microphones, and GPS capabilities of connected vehicles, the U.S. government is concerned that this technology could be used as an extension tool for CCP intelligence agencies.
In light of the current Operation Epic Fury targeting Iran, the Trump administration is tightening its control over the energy sector, particularly in oil. Analysts point out that the CCP’s radical expansion in the electric vehicle sector is seen as a crucial means for gaining an advantage in the global supply chain and data warfare.
Chang, along with several security experts, also extends their concerns to infrastructure security. He points out that once these vehicles connect to the U.S. power grid or communication networks, they could become entry points for cyberattacks. Currently, Republican lawmakers are urging the government to further expand sanctions on China-related networks, especially in combating money laundering chains associated with Iranian oil revenue, as part of a comprehensive strategy to curb hostile countries’ penetration of the U.S. through technology and energy vulnerabilities.