Chinese cars are not allowed to enter military installations by the Polish army in order to protect confidential information. This ruling is based on the apprehensions of the current-day cars that have sophisticated sensors and communication networks that have the potential of uncontrolled acquisition and utilisation of data. Such functionalities are video, audio, and location data collection, which causes some concerns regarding the sharing of sensitive data with the Chinese manufacturers and their government.

The new rules will ensure that any vehicle with the capability to record the location, video and sound cannot be permitted to access secure military grounds unless these functions are disabled. It should be mentioned that this limitation is not only restricted to Chinese-made vehicles but also to any vehicle with the same recording capabilities. Moreover, the linkage of the official army equipment to the infotainment systems in the cars produced in China is also prohibited.

These precautionary steps can be aligned with those of other NATO countries and are aimed at addressing the national security issues. The Polish army has also shown that they are considering the possibility of technical methods through which manufacturers of speedy advanced vehicles can seek security clearance in the future, perhaps avoiding the need to have a ban of this magnitude.

Over the past years, there has been a tremendous rise in the availability of Chinese vehicles within the Polish market, and Chinese vehicles registered over 8 per cent of all new cars registered in Poland in the last year, according to the data provided by the market research firm, IBRM Samar, which is located in Warsaw. At the same time, the United States and the European allies have been pursuing the option of ensuring that sensitive technology and information are not under foreign surveillance, especially regarding the threat of China.

Responding to previous news concerning the possible ban in Poland, Guo Jiakun, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, in January stated that China was paying close attention to the situation and that it does not support the misuse of the law of national security.