Fearing 'Spy Trains,' Congress May Ban a Chinese Maker of Subway Cars

[Eugene]

Source: New York Times

Fearing ‘Spy Trains,’ Congress May Ban a Chinese Maker of Subway Cars

By Ana Swanson
Sept. 14, 2019

CHICAGO — America’s next fight with China is unfolding at a glistening new factory in Chicago, which stands empty except for the shells of two subway cars and space for future business that is unlikely to come.

A Chinese state-owned company called CRRC Corporation, the world’s largest train maker, completed the $100 million facility this year in the hopes of winning contracts to build subway cars and other passenger trains for American cities like Chicago and Washington.

But growing fears about China’s economic ambitions and its potential to track and spy on Americans are about to quash those plans. Congress is soon expected to approve legislation that would effectively bar the company from competing for new contracts in the United States, citing national security and economic concerns. The White House has expressed its support for the effort.

Washington’s attempt to block a Chinese company from selling train cars inside America is the latest escalation in a trade war that has quickly expanded from a spat over tariffs and intellectual property to a broader fight over economic and national security.

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Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/14/business/chinese-train-national-security.html

[CrispyQ]

1. What am I missing?

I don't understand why we're concerned about subway cars but we're not concerned about electronic devices?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Here's the issue:

Let's say the DC-area transit system, WMATA, buys these Chinese cars for its 8000-series of Metrorail cars. There are government workers, high-level military personnel, and similar high muckety-mucks riding the Metro. Well over half of them, with yours truly being one of the odd exceptions, is tuned into a smartphone. What are they talking about or viewing? Suppose the Chinese have surveillance devices built into the cars' electronics. Maybe they can spy on the cars' riders.