The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Thursday voted unanimously to advance a proposal to bar all Chinese laboratories from testing electronic devices such as smartphones, cameras and computers for use in the US.
The US agency says about 75 percent of all US electronics are tested in China and it plans to adopt a streamlined approval process for devices tested in US laboratories or laboratories in nations not posing national security risks.
In a separate 3-0 vote, the commission advanced a proposal to bar China Mobile Ltd (中國移動), China Telecom Corp (中國電信) and China Unicom Hong Kong Ltd (中國聯通) from operating data centers in the US, and could ban telecoms from interconnecting with companies on its national security “Covered List.”
Photo: Bloomberg
Previously, the FCC barred the three companies from operating in the US.
The FCC said it was also considering barring interconnection with companies that own data centers or points of presence at US Internet exchange points, extending restrictions to some affiliates of listed firms, and prohibiting interconnection with carriers using equipment from suppliers on the national security list including Huawei Technologies Co (華為) and ZTE Corp (中興).
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the commission is considering a series of actions “to secure our networks from these bad actors, including limiting their interconnection ability.”
The moves build on previous actions to clamp down on Beijing, including earlier this month a proposal to ban the import of equipment from Chinese manufacturers on the Covered List, after barring approvals of new models by those companies in 2022.
The FCC in October last year moved to revoke the ability of HKT (香港電訊), a leading Hong Kong telecom and subsidiary of PCCW Corp (電訊盈科), to operate in the US In December, it banned the import of all new models of Chinese drones, and last month it banned imports of new models of Chinese-made consumer routers, the boxes connecting computers, phones, and smart devices to the Internet.
In response China yesterday slammed the proposals, saying that they undermine bilateral trade relations.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said that the restrictions would “seriously undermine the international economic and trade order,” vowing to hit back if they are implemented.
“If the US insists on going down the wrong path, China will resolutely take necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises,” it said in a statement.
It accused the FCC of repeatedly introducing restrictive measures toward Chinese products and companies.
“These ... undermine the hard-won stability in China-US economic and trade relations ... and run counter to the consensus reached by the two heads of state,” the statement added.
Additional reporting by AFP
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