Virginia Urged to Halt Use of Chinese Drones Due to Espionage Concerns

The Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party has called on Virginia to discontinue the use of Chinese drones, citing intelligence threats. With sensitive national security sites in Fairfax County, officials are urged to stop deploying DJI and other PRC-made drones to protect national and economic security.

The leadership of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (SCCCP) has called on Virginia to halt the use of Chinese drones, which they claim pose significant intelligence risks. Congressmen John Moolenaar and Raja Krishnamoorthi have also been alerted, as vital agencies like the CIA and the Director of National Intelligence are located in Fairfax County.

In a recent post on X, the SCCCP stated, "Rep. John Moolenaar, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Fairfax County must cease using Chinese military-linked DJI Global drones that pose an espionage risk. Fairfax County is home to the CIA, the Director of National Intelligence, and numerous government personnel." The committee emphasized the need for local authorities to reconsider procurement and deployment of drones manufactured by the People's Republic of China (PRC), highlighting the espionage threats posed by these devices.

The committee's letter emphasized that PRC-made drones, including those from Shenzhen DJI Sciences and Technologies Ltd. and Autel Robotics, pose a national and economic security threat. It mentioned efforts by the Executive Branch and Congress, including the January 2024 Joint CISA and FBI report, to mitigate such risks. Further, the SCCCP urged Fairfax County and other local governments to safeguard sensitive data from potential PRC exploitation.

Highlighting historical concerns, the letter referenced a 2017 Department of Homeland Security bulletin, which suggested DJI was transmitting sensitive U.S. data to the Chinese government. DJI's inclusion on the Department of Commerce's "Entity List" in December 2020, and subsequent actions by the Department of Defence and Treasury, underline the ongoing national security risks. As a result, seven states have already grounded PRC-related UAS due to data security concerns.

Fairfax County currently operates a mixed fleet of drones for public safety and emergency services. However, the use of PRC-manufactured drones raises significant security concerns due to their ability to capture high-resolution imagery, potentially exposing sensitive data to the Chinese Communist Party. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)