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[Text/Observer Network Xiong Chaoran] According to Reuters on August 4 local time, citing people familiar with the matter, the US Department of Commerce is expected to propose a ban on the use of Chinese software in autonomous driving and connected cars in the coming weeks.

In a proposed rule that the Biden administration plans to release, the use of Chinese software in U.S. Level 3 and above autonomous driving cars (the U.S. autonomous driving is divided into five levels, from L1 to L5) will be banned, and the testing of autonomous driving cars produced by Chinese companies will also be banned on U.S. roads.

In a previously unreported decision, the administration also plans to propose a ban on vehicles equipped with advanced wireless communication function modules developed in China from U.S. roads, the sources added. Under the proposal, automakers and suppliers would need to verify that none of their connected cars or advanced self-driving car software was developed in a "foreign entity of concern" such as China.

On July 16, Alan Estevez, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Under Secretary for Industry and Security, mentioned that the department plans to release proposed management rules for Internet-connected cars in August, which is expected to impose restrictions on software designed and developed by China and other countries that the United States regards as competitors.

Now, when asked to comment, a U.S. Department of Commerce spokesperson said on August 4 that the U.S. Department of Commerce is concerned about "national security risks associated with connected technologies in connected cars" and that the department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) will issue a proposed rule "that will focus on specific systems within vehicles," and that the industry will also have the opportunity to review the proposed rule and submit comments.

The U.S. Department of Commerce said that on July 31 local time, the White House, the State Department, allies and industry leaders held a meeting on the theme of "jointly addressing national security risks associated with connected cars." Sources said that officials disclosed details of the regulations in the government plan.

Level 3, also known as "conditional autonomous driving," involves technology that allows drivers to engage in activities after driving, such as watching a movie or using a smartphone, but only under certain limited conditions.

Reuters pointed out that in November last year, some U.S. congressmen issued a so-called "warning" about Chinese companies' collection and processing of sensitive data when testing self-driving cars in the United States, and questioned 10 major companies.

The lawmakers claimed in a letter that Chinese self-driving car companies drove more than 450,000 miles (720,000 kilometers) in California in the 12 months ending in November 2022. In July 2023, U.S. Transportation Secretary Buttigieg also claimed that his department had so-called "national security concerns" about Chinese self-driving car companies in the United States.

Reuters mentioned that in May this year, U.S. Commerce Secretary Raimondo announced at a Senate hearing that the U.S. government plans to release management rules for Chinese connected cars this fall. She refused to comment on the specific content of the proposed rules at the time.

According to his earlier remarks, the Biden administration may take "extreme actions" to ban the import of Chinese connected cars or impose restrictions on them. This is also the first sign that the United States may introduce a ban since US President Biden announced an investigation into Chinese connected cars in February this year.

In March of this year, when Raimondo was selling a new version of the "China threat theory" for the Biden administration, he also exaggerated a sensational scenario - "That's terrible... Imagine if there were 3 million Chinese cars on American roads, and Beijing could shut them all down at the same time."

"The United States has restricted the flow of data to so-called countries of concern under the pretext of so-called data security and has announced an investigation into connected cars in specific countries. These actions are essentially an abuse of national security reasons, aimed at suppressing the development of competitive companies in other countries." In March this year, Wang Wenbin, then spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded to the US government's investigation into China's connected cars.

Wang Wenbin said that the United States' hype of the so-called "China data threat theory" is nothing more than an excuse to cooperate with its actions to suppress China. China hopes that the United States can take practical actions to maintain an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment, work with all parties to formulate universal global data security rules, and make positive efforts to promote the orderly and free flow of global data. China never abuses restrictions on specific countries or specific companies. As long as they comply with the requirements of Chinese laws and regulations, China welcomes companies from all countries and various platform products and services to enter the Chinese market.

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