China’s looking pretty sus
Image: Innersloth
The US has launched a federal investigation into Chinese telecom giant Huawei over concerns that some of its equipment installed in American cell towers has the ability to intercept top-secret military communications and transmit them to Beijing, per a new report from Reuters.
The previously unreported probe was opened by the Commerce Department shortly after President Biden took office last year. It builds off a May 2019 executive order from former President Trump banning the purchase or use of technology that poses a national security risk.
🤔🕵️‍♀️ Eye (allegedly) spy… In addition to the Commerce Department, the FBI has been investigating alleged instances of Chinese spying on US soil since at least 2017, per a new CNN report citing multiple internal sources.
- During that time, the agency reportedly probed Chinese land purchases near critical infrastructure, shut down a regional consulate believed to be a hotbed of Chinese spies, and stonewalled what the agency says were clear efforts to plant listening devices near military and government facilities.
- The FBI also determined Huawei equipment installed atop cell towers near military bases in the rural Midwest was capable of capturing and disrupting highly-encrypted Defense Department comms, including those pertaining to nuclear weapons, per CNN.
🏛️ Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill: An investigation by Senate Republicans published yesterday outlined evidence of China trying to build a network of informants inside the US Federal Reserve system, including threatening to imprison a Fed economist during a trip to Shanghai.
+Flash poll: Do you think the US should ban Chinese companies from accessing American infrastructure, similar to recent restrictions in other Western nations?
See a 360° view of what the media is saying →
Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that there’s no such thing as an independent Chinese company, as all businesses within the country are ultimately beholden to the interests of the Chinese Communist Party.
- Others contend that the US government should take more steps to prevent the theft of American IP by Chinese firms, which is both a historical and ongoing problem.
- “Where Spying Is the Law” –Yi-Zheng Lian, New York Times
- “China’s long arm of dictatorship reaches into the United States” –WaPo Editorial Board
- “I Was Wrong About Chinese Censorship” –Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that US firms need to start considering the international political risks of dealing with China, which is notorious for rampant high-tech piracy and corporate espionage.
- Others contend that the US government needs to reverse its longstanding policy of remaining silent while Chinese companies regularly violate the constitutional rights of American citizens.
- “When will American businesses wake up to the threat of Chinese espionage?” –John Bolton, former National Security Adviser under President Trump
- “Chinese Spies Violate U.S. Sovereignty and Americans’ Rights” –Michael Cunningham, Heritage Foundation
- “On TikTok, It’s All Fun and Games Until China Wants Your Info” –Joel Thayer, WSJ
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