Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao smiles as he gets into a MG6 car during his visit to the MG motor plant in Birmingham, central England, Sunday, June 26, 2011. (AP)

British lawmakers have warned against importing Chinese electric vehicles, claiming the technology embedded in the vehicles could be used to spy on British citizens, according to a report in The Telegraph on Saturday.

With China leading the global EV market, cheaper Chinese vehicles are expected to dominate automotive sales in the United Kingdom. A cross-party group of MPs has expressed concern to the government that Britain is on the verge of handing over control of critical infrastructure to Beijing, with all of the "associated security risks."

“If it is manufactured in a country like China, how certain can you be that it won’t be a vehicle for collecting intel and data? If you have electric vehicles manufactured by countries who are already using technology to spy, why would they not do the same here?” an unnamed senior government official told The Telegraph.

The call comes in the wake of new government legislation, with car companies facing quotas for zero-emission sales from next year, ahead of a ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles in 2030. “We know that China always thinks in very long terms. So if they were providing a product that could do more than just deliver the consumer’s desire to go from A to B, why would they not be doing it?” the source claimed. “They are high-risk products.”

Previously, the UK restricted Chinese technology imports due to perceived security risks. The government barred Huawei from the UK's 5G network in 2020, ordering the removal of all of the company's equipment and services by the end of December 2023.

Last year, the heads of the domestic intelligence services in the United Kingdom and the United States accused China of economic espionage. Beijing denied the allegations, claiming that British intelligence was "simply projecting their own dishonorable behavior onto China."

Another spy accusation

It seems like some Western states are practicing Sinophobia, given the latest series of events. Not too long ago, Germany's education minister called for a review of student exchange policies with China on July 29, citing an alleged increased risk of scientific espionage presented by Chinese students receiving full state scholarships in Germany.

"China is becoming more and more competitive and is a systemic rival in the domain of science and research," Bettina Stark-Watzinger said in an interview published on Saturday by the Mediengruppe Bayern.

The minister applauded the decision of the Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) in Bavaria, which routinely collaborates with German industry on research initiatives, to no longer admit Chinese students whose entire funding comes from the China Scholarship Council (CSC), a governmental entity.

German media Deutsche Welle and Correctiv recently published allegations that winners of these scholarships must take a loyalty oath to the Chinese government or face legal action.