Beijing Warns Curbs on China-Made EVs will Only Hinder US Auto Industry Itself

BEIJING, March 4 (TMTPost)-- China delivered serious warnings about the U.S. government’s recent attempt to impose restrictions on imports of electric vehicles (EVs).

Credit：Visual China

China has been opening its door to global auto companies, including those from the United States, while the U.S. has engaged in trade protectionism and set up obstacles including discriminatory subsidy policies to obstruct access to the US market by Chinese-made cars, and “such acts of politicizing economic and trade issues will only hinder the development of the US auto industry itself”, Mao Ning, the spokesperson of China’s Foreign Ministry, commented on the report about the U.S. government’s planned probe into Chinese-made EVs. Mao claimed vehicles made in China are popular globally not by using so-called “unfair practices”, but by emerging from the fierce market competition with technological innovation and superb quality. China urged the U.S. to respect the laws of market economy and the principles of fair competition, stop overstretching the concept of national security, stop its discriminatory suppression against Chinese companies, and uphold an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment, Mao said.

The report abovementioned said the White House announced the U.S. Commerce Department is launching an investigation into whether Chinese vehicle imports pose security risks and could impose curbs due to concerns about connected vehicle technology. The White House said such investigation is required because vehicles "collect large amounts of sensitive data on their drivers and passengers (and) regularly use their cameras and sensors to record detailed information on U.S. infrastructure." In his address on national risks to the U.S. auto industry, President Joe Biden said China is determined to dominate the future of the auto market, “including by using unfair practices”. “China’s policies could flood our market with its vehicles, posing risks to our national security. I’m not going to let that happen on my watch,” Biden said.

Biden’s remark came on heels of the President’s an executive order to “protect Americans’ sensitive personal data from exploitation by countries of concern”. The executive order issued on February 28 was said mark the most significant executive action any President has ever taken to protect Americans’ data security, authorizes the Attorney General to prevent the large-scale transfer of Americans’ personal data to countries of concern and provides safeguards around other activities that can give those countries access to Americans’ sensitive data.

The move aims to prevent the large-scale transfer of Americans’ personal data from countries of concern without limiting legitimate commerce around data, Associated Press cited senior Biden administration officials on a call with reporters. The senior administration officials said they were concerned about China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela. Asked on last Wednesday if the U.S. government is worried about TikTok when it comes to trafficking sensitive data, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded, “We do have concerns — that’s why we put out" the executive order. But she then added that it “does not cover any one company.”

The US overstretches the concept of national security, falsely accuses China of purchasing Americans’ personal and sensitive data for malicious activities, and prevents the transfer of data to so-called “countries of concern” including China, Mao Ning said following Biden’s executive order. Mao said China firmly rejects discriminatory practices clearly targeted at certain countries, and urges the U.S. to stop smearing and discrediting China, effectively safeguard a fair, open and non-discriminatory business environment, and work with others to formulate universal data security rules to enable orderly and free data flows around the world. China has never asked and will never ask any company or individual to collect or provide data, information or intelligence located abroad against local laws for the Chinese government, according to Mao. She added that the U.S. can publicly endorse the Global Initiative on Data Security that China put forward or make similar commitments if it truly cares about data security.