The Chinese Embassy in Israel on Monday rejected allegations that Chinese-made electric vehicles could be used for espionage, after Israel Hayom reported that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had ordered the removal of such vehicles from its bases over security concerns.
According to the Israel Hayom report, the directive was issued by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir following a security assessment that certain Chinese-made cars may pose a risk of data leaks or surveillance. The order initially applies to officers in classified roles or those with access to sensitive information, and is expected to extend to all officers by the first quarter of 2026.
The report said about 700 vehicles are affected, most of them seven-seat models made by China's Chery company, which had been provided to officers with large families. Israeli intelligence officials cited concerns that modern vehicles include cameras, microphones, sensors, and wireless connectivity that could potentially transmit data to external servers. A former senior officer told Israel Hayom that "every 'smart' car is essentially a computer on wheels," capable of collecting information near sensitive installations.
The Chinese Embassy called the reports "groundless speculation and lies," insisting that vehicles exported from China to Israel comply fully with Israeli law and do not pose any security threat."China's new energy vehicles, with their outstanding innovation and high product quality, have won the favor of consumers around the world," the embassy said. "All vehicles exported from China to Israel, which comply with the Israeli laws and regulations on data security and transmission, pose no threat to Israel's national security."
The embassy added that the Chinese government "has never asked, and will never ask, any company to engage in any form of espionage."
It said that the data functions of Chinese electric vehicles are no different from those of other brands. "The so-called 'data collection' is nothing more than a normal and essential function of smart driving systems. In this regard, there is no fundamental difference between Chinese vehicles and those from other countries."
According to the statement, any data gathered by Chinese electric vehicles is stored in a sealed unit inside the car. "If you drive a Chinese brand EV, your data will be gathered and sealed in a 'black box' in the car, but not transferred, and will only be used when there is an accident and the driver's actions and the car's path need to be checked," the embassy said.
It also noted that while some electric vehicles use cloud services, "all relevant servers are located in Europe" and are managed according to local laws. The statement emphasized that Chinese manufacturers exporting to Israel had taken additional precautions. "Given Israel's high sensitivity to security issues, Chinese automakers have specifically removed the connectivity functions from the models exported to Israel, fundamentally eliminating any possibility of data transmission through a vehicle's intelligent systems."
The embassy concluded by calling for fair treatment of Chinese businesses: "The global journey of China's electric vehicles is an open and upright path of innovation. This path of cooperation brings cleaner air, more advanced technologies, better choice, more comfortable experiences, and a fairer market for all. We hope the Israeli side will view and treat Chinese brands in a fair and objective manner, and provide Chinese companies with a fair, equitable, and non-discriminatory business environment."
