On Thursday (29th), U.S. Republican Senator Josh Hawley from Missouri formally sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, requesting a comprehensive investigation into TuSimple (TSP-US), an autonomous trucking company with Chinese ownership. Hawley pointed out that the company is suspected of sharing proprietary data and sensitive technology with entities linked to the Chinese government, posing a significant threat to U.S. national security. He cited media reports accusing TuSimple of "systematically sharing proprietary data, source code, and autonomous driving technology with entities connected to the Chinese government," blatantly disregarding a national security agreement signed in 2022 with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

Despite CFIUS's agreement explicitly restricting data sharing, TuSimple has continued to share core technologies with China and has not faced severe penalties to date. Hawley emphasized that if the reports are true, TuSimple's actions not only violate U.S. export regulations but also betray national trust, constituting a direct threat to America's technological leadership. He called on the Justice Department to publicly disclose its investigation results, allowing the American public to understand how this company has become a conduit for sensitive technology transfer to China.

The letter requests the Justice Department to thoroughly review whether TuSimple provided protected information to Chinese entities and clarify the specific scope covered by the national security agreement made with CFIUS two years ago. Meanwhile, Hawley also inquired about what actions have been taken by the Justice Department regarding Bot Auto, a Texas autonomous driving company founded by former TuSimple employees, to ensure that the company would not engage in similar technology leak activities.

As the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee's Crime and Terrorism Subcommittee, Hawley is known for his strong stance against China, particularly concerning issues of technology sharing between U.S. companies and China, making him one of the most outspoken members of Congress.

TuSimple, established in 2015 and headquartered in San Diego, California, is an autonomous trucking company with research and development centers in both China and the United States. In 2017, it obtained a self-driving license in California and completed interstate testing from California to Arizona. In July 2020, TuSimple signed a strategic cooperation agreement with U.S. truck manufacturer Navistar (NAV-US) to jointly develop L4 level autonomous trucks. In April 2021, the company successfully went public on NASDAQ, making it the first publicly traded company in the autonomous driving sector.