According to a small inquiry submitted by the Green parliamentary group, which was reported by the FAZ, the German federal government currently lacks a complete overview detailing exactly where Chinese components are installed within Germany’s critical infrastructure. While the government acknowledges the potential dangers posed by Chinese technology in areas such as automobiles, wind turbines, and harbor cranes, it asserts that it increasingly considers the cybersecurity of networked energy facilities a growing priority for electricity supply across Germany and Europe. Nonetheless, the Federal Interior Ministry stated that it is still in the process of examining relevant technical and regulatory countermeasures.
Anton Hofreiter, a Green politician and chair of the Bundestag’s European Committee, told the FAZ that the government’s reply confirmed his worst suspicions regarding the security risks associated with Chinese technologies within critical infrastructure. He echoed the concern that China’s influence over Germany’s critical infrastructure presents a significant security risk. He noted that the absence of a comprehensive inventory of embedded Chinese components is highly dangerous, adding that “it is high time that concrete measures are implemented here.”
