(Yicai) Oct. 17 -- An overseas company has been found to have unlawfully conducted geographic surveys and mapping activities on Chinese territory under the guise of carrying out research on intelligent driving, the Ministry of State Security said yesterday.

Tesla, Mobileye and a number of other overseas autonomous driving firms immediately responded to say that they strictly abide by all of China’s laws and regulations.

Compliance is the foundation of Tesla’s business operations, Tao Lin, vice president of external affairs at the Austin-based firm, posted on microblogging site Weibo yesterday. Tesla set up the Tesla Shanghai Data Center in 2021 to store data locally.

A foreign company was discovered to be linking arms with a Chinese firm which has surveying and mapping qualifications to unlawfully carry out geographic survey and mapping activities in China under the pretense of conducting research on smart driving and transmitted this data abroad, the Ministry of State Security said. Neither company was named.

"We have continuously invested in data compliance and regulatory adherence, including in China, where we operate under the supervision of licensed entities in full accordance with legal requirements," said Jerusalem-based Mobileye, the autonomous driving unit under Intel, today. “Our commitment to working within the framework of all applicable laws and regulations ensures that our operations meet the highest standards of compliance.”

Chinese digital mapper NavInfo firmly denied any involvement, saying that it adheres to all laws and its business operations are compliant. The Beijing-based company resolutely opposes any online rumors that smear and damage the firm's reputation.

“The matter has nothing to do with Zeekr, nor its partners," said Yang Xueliang, senior vice president of carmaker Geely Holding Group, which is a Mobileye customer and produces the Zeekr marque.

Editor: Kim Taylor