US intensifies investigation into China's lidar technology

US lobbyists are trying to cut ties with China's Hesai Technology due to concerns about its autonomous driving technology.

Late last month, the White House declared that it would look into linked cars in order to evaluate the risks to national security posed by Chinese technological advancements in this field. These worries are a result of the worry that Chinese cars receiving state subsidies would overtake the American market and acquire large amounts of private information via light detection and ranging (lidar) sensors, which may also have military uses, sources told Nikkei Asia.

Lidar maps the surrounding area in three dimensions by measuring the distance, velocity, and altitude of objects using pulsed laser light. An unmanned aerial vehicle with lidar descends onto a bombing scene in the near future to evaluate the aftermath. With no risk to military troops, the drone offers a precise assessment of the functional and physical damage on the ground.

Away from the front lines, lidar is a crucial component of many Chinese linked automobiles. Hesai is one of the largest manufacturers of these sensors, having made its Nasdaq debut last year.

Hesai enlisted the help of Washington's two leading lobbying firms based on revenue after observing that competitor US lidar companies were actively influencing lawmakers in Washington. Public documents reveal that it paid Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld $300,000 in August and Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck $220,000 a month after hiring them. These amounts were paid until February.

American businesses dominated the global lidar market until 2018. Based on Beijing's industrial policies—which include tariffs and subsidies—Chinese enterprises have achieved significant progress since then, according to the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.