A discovery that components in a British naval drone were secretly transmitting data to China has prompted concerns about Chinese technology infiltrating Western infrastructure more broadly. The article argues this reflects a deliberate Chinese strategy of gaining indispensability in Western supply chains before exploiting those connections for intelligence and espionage. As China becomes the world's largest vehicle exporter and dominates production of car batteries, software and connected technologies, the article contends that policymakers face an opportunity to restrict such access before vulnerabilities become embedded in American vehicles and critical infrastructure.

Modern vehicles function as computers on wheels, equipped with cameras, microphones, sensors and GPS systems that collect significant data, whilst software increasingly controls steering, braking and acceleration. Chinese-made components could gain access to American vehicles indirectly—through parts integrated into vehicles manufactured by American, European, Japanese or South Korean companies—potentially providing intelligence on travel patterns, locations and access to sensitive facilities. Congress is being urged to pass the bipartisan Connected Vehicle Security Act, sponsored by Republican Senator Bernie Moreno and Democrat Senator Elissa Slotkin, which would build on existing Commerce Department restrictions on foreign-adversary linked technology.