“We write to urge the State Department to issue travel advisories to US citizens traveling to countries that use Chinese surveillance and monitoring systems, including so-called 'smart city' and 'safe city' systems”, the senators wrote in the letter, which was published by Rubio's press office.
The senators said the Chinese government is exporting advanced surveillance and monitoring systems as part of a widespread drive to spread its authoritarian model around the world.
“Chinese companies like Huawei and China National Electronics Import & Export Corporation are selling, loaning, or transferring to foreign governments, so-called ‘smart city’ and ‘safe city’ systems - a broad array of surveillance and monitoring technologies”, the letter said.
Those technologies included cameras, facial recognition along with artificial intelligence and cloud systems, that could be used to track and monitor individuals, Rubio and Wyden wrote.
In May, the US government blacklisted Huawei over its suspected connections with Chinese intelligence. The sanctions make it illegal for US firms to strike deals with the company without first procuring a special license. The United States has also been pushing other countries to refrain from using Huawei’s equipment while adopting 5G network technology.
On 29 June, US President Donald Trump eased the sanctions placed on Huawei by allowing US companies to sell components and spare parts to the still-blacklisted company.
