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Cellular IoT modules are at the heart of new and developing technology and ubiquitous in our lives, yet few of us are aware of their presence, let alone the threat they pose. They can be found in both domestic and industrial settings, from our watches, light bulbs and cars, to healthcare equipment, security cameras or satellite systems.
The modules collect and share data using wireless technology, allowing us to enjoy smart speakers or remote medical monitoring equipment, but more worryingly they also monitor and control those systems and devices.
The UK and other established democracies are increasingly reliant on this technology and increasingly vulnerable to the risks associated with its use too. More than 50% of the international market in Cellular IoT modules (CIMs) is already in the hands of three Chinese companies. Those of us who live in free and open countries face a threat to our national security and economic prosperity, not to mention to our privacy and human rights.
This short paper by Charles Parton aims to be a ready reference on the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) plans to establish a monopoly of the supply of CIMs, crucial components in the Internet of Things (IoT) age.
Charles Parton OBE spent 22 years of his 37-year diplomatic career working in or on China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. In 2017, he was chosen as the Foreign Affairs Select Committee’s Special Adviser on China. He is currently a Fellow at Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and at the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), and an Associate Fellow in Indo-Pacific Geopolitics at the Council on Geostrategy.
Collision Course: Under-pricing Chinese EV risks in the UK
The Coalition on Secure Technology’s report in conjunction with the China Strategic Risks Institute (CSRI), Collision Course: Under-pricing Chinese EVs risks in the UK has been widely picked up in publications today such as CityAM and the Telegraph.
It warns that the Government should consider banning Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers from securing government contracts over national security and data privacy concerns.
It says suppliers suspected of having ties to China’s military-industrial complex pose a key risk due to the potential for built-in wireless components to be “weaponised”, which could even be used to gridlock British streets.
It comes as the UK government is rapidly procuring EVs for the public sector and confirmed last year that some models used by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had been supplied by MG, which is owned by China’s SAIC Motor.
The paper was authored by the Coalition’s leading China expert, the Senior RUSI fellow Charles Parton and created in partnership with the China Observatory at the Council on Geostrategy.
Outlining a list of the top 10 priorities that require immediate government focus, this paper also offers strategic insights for longer term action. Among urgent concerns, it underscores the imminent threat to British national security posed by the presence of Chinese manufactured Cellular Internet of Things (IoT) Modules in Electric Vehicles, detailing three compelling reasons behind this assessment.
The Coalition on Secure Technology has launched a new report, Chinese Cellular (IoT) Modules: Countering the Threat, warning that Chinese ‘internet of things modules’ must be banned from our critical national infrastructure.
The report was created with the Council on Geostrategy, and highlights the threats posed by Chinese-made CIMs, the action already being taken by the UK and its allies, and provides a series of recommended actions needed to mitigate the risk.
Charles Parton OBE spent 22 years of his 37-year diplomatic career working in or on China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. In 2017, he was chosen as the Foreign Affairs Select Committee’s Special Adviser on China. He is currently a Fellow at Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and at the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), and an Associate Fellow in Indo-Pacific Geopolitics at the Council on Geostrategy.
This report sets out the risks associated with the use of Cellular IoT modules whose provenance could be a threat to our security, our prosperity, our privacy and our human rights.
