Chinese Gov. Thinks HP, Xerox, Canon, and Lexmark Could Be Spying for the West. (Part #2)

[jim]

What was once industry speculation about whether foreign printer and copier companies could potentially expose China to Western surveillance concerns has now taken a dramatic turn: China has officially launched its first foreign-trade national-security investigation targeting imported printers and copiers equipped with foreign-developed software. Beijing’s Ministry of Commerce says it is examining imported printing and copying equipment, foreign software and embedded technology, China’s dependence on overseas products and technology, and even the impact of foreign-government policies on Chinese national-security interests. (english.mofcom.gov.cn) The timing is impossible to ignore: China announced the probe as part of countermeasures responding to recent U.S. restrictions, while a new questionnaire is now seeking detailed information about the global printer/copier market, imports and foreign dependence. (mlex.com) So are HP, Xerox, Canon, Lexmark and other foreign OEMs being treated as potential security risks? China has not publicly accused those companies of spying, and the investigation does not name specific manufacturers, but Beijing’s decision to put foreign-developed printer drivers and embedded software under a national-security microscope raises exactly that uncomfortable question. A copier may look like an ordinary office machine, but today it can be a network-connected information terminal containing software, firmware and other technologies developed outside China. Chinese officials have explicitly described printing and copying equipment as important information input/output terminals across society and the economy. (cacs.mofcom.gov.cn) The investigation could therefore become a major turning point for the global imaging industry: Will China ultimately demand greater domestic control over the technology inside its copiers — and could foreign printer giants become collateral damage in the expanding U.S.-China technology war?

[Author]

September 3, 2026 at 11:14 AM