Politics and economics behind Biden's Chinese car espionage probe

United States President Joe Biden, vowing to "do right by US auto workers", has launched a probe into whether Chinese-made vehicles could be used to spy on Americans, a far-off threat given there are few such cars on US roads now.

The White House announced the investigation on Feb 29, citing national security risks about "connected" cars creating "new avenues for espionage and sabotage".

Mr Biden is campaigning for reelection, and US automakers have voiced fear about having to compete at home with Chinese electric vehicles (EVS). An auto lobbying group recently said this could cause an "extinction event".

China's EV industry has surged past all others in recent years and aims to export vehicles globally, often at far lower prices than American EV offerings.

Mr Biden nodded to that economic threat in his statement voicing concerns about espionage.

"We're going to make sure the future of the auto industry will be made here in America with American workers." Political and policy experts acknowledge the threat of Chinese spying but also see his sabre-rattling as another opportunity to demonstrate he is tough on China.

"The announcement seems as much oriented at blunting accusations of being weak against China as it is at finding a solution to this challenge," said Dr Scott Kennedy, a China specialist at Washington's Centre for Strategic and International Studies think-tank.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington criticised Mr Biden, saying he was "hyping up the 'China threat' theory" to suppress competition.

Dr Kennedy said the probe is reasonable, but he did worry it could also spur protectionism based on "overstated national security concerns". He warned this could upend global supply chains and hurt US production.

Many industry officials urged higher trade barriers against Chinese automakers, and the US and Europe are considering them.