Italy Demands Cybersecurity Safeguards from Dongfeng for New Auto Plant Investment

Italy is demanding that Dongfeng Motor Group Co., a prominent Chinese automaker, agree to stringent cybersecurity and data protection measures as a condition for supporting the establishment of a new plant in the country. According to sources familiar with the matter, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government is advancing negotiations with Dongfeng but insists on specific safeguards to protect national security and consumer data.

One of the key requirements is that certain critical components, such as infotainment units, must be supplied by local Italian companies. 

This measure is intended to ensure that the vehicles produced in the new plant adhere to Western security standards, particularly given the growing concerns about data protection and cybersecurity in the automotive industry. Additionally, Italian officials are pushing for consumer data collected by Dongfeng’s vehicles to be stored and managed within Italy. This stipulation aims to prevent the transfer of sensitive data outside of the country, addressing the broader concerns that have arisen with the increasing integration of digital technologies in automobiles.

The Italian government’s approach reflects its dual objectives: capturing the economic benefits of Chinese investment in the auto sector, which has been in decline for decades, while simultaneously mitigating the risks associated with cybersecurity and data protection. 

Prime Minister Meloni, who recently met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, is navigating a complex landscape of rene

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