There's concern that Chinese-made robots deployed in the US can be controlled by Beijing – the concern now so acute that the American government has banned many of them.
The US Federal Communications Commissions added foreign produced advanced robots to a list that effectively means they can’t be sold in the US.
The target of this change is clear – China makes some of the world's most advanced tech, and the US is worried that this tech can be exploited.
Beijing has called an importation ban of its advanced humanoid robots “irrational” and bad for American consumers. (Source: 1News)
"Relying on foreign-produced advanced robotic devices presents unacceptable supply chain and cybersecurity vulnerabilities," said a report from the FCC.
"The US government has a clear and compelling national security concern that foreign-produced advanced robotic devices could be weaponised to directly harm US national security and US persons."
But just how valid is this concern?
"Any device that you have, whether it's a robot or a car or whether it's your telecommunications infrastructure, the way that the Chinese Communist Party views data is very much as a tool of the state," said Jonathan Fritz, from the Centre for American Progress, in an interview with 1News. He worked in the US State Department for more than three decades, leaving earlier this year.
"[China] do not recognise privacy in the same way that a democratic government or society like either of ours would. So, there are real national security concerns around importing any devices that can be controlled remotely, that can be used as conduits of sensitive personal data, national security data, critical infrastructure, kill switches."
China was furious with the US announcement.
"China has consistently and firmly opposed the US practice of broadening the concept of national security to suppress Chinese enterprises," said China Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning.
"Such protectionist measures will not enhance America's competitiveness; instead, it only harms the interests of American businesses and consumers. China will continue to take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises."
China had spent much of the 21st century supporting the growth of the domestic technology sector.
"When we talk about industrial policy with regards to China, it's really a qualitatively different thing than when we're talking about US industrial policy, European industrial policy, or Japanese industrial policy," said Fritz.
"The number of tools in the box for [China] really dwarfs anything that a sort of a free market rule of law democracy — like New Zealand or the United States — would be able to be able to have on hand," he said.
"Full control of the financial system allows the consistent provision of below market rate credit, for example, control of land, control of electricity, repressed labour. There's just so many ways that both directly and indirectly Beijing is able to channel support to industries that it deems strategic — and robotics is absolutely on this list."
One of the big unknowns was how the superpower would respond.
"Whether or not this sets off a sort of tit for tat, retaliatory cycle, I don't know," Fritz said.
"[China] are usually a little bit more cautious about, sweeping retaliatory measures."
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