US Moves Toward Barring More Chinese Carriers On Security (bloomberg.com) 27
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission moved toward barring China Unicom (Hong Kong) and ComNet from the U.S., calling the Chinese telecommunications carriers a security risk controlled by the Beijing government. From a report: The action against two of China's three major telecommunications operators was decided by a 4-0 vote by agency. It continues a security crackdown that earlier touched Chinese gear makers Huawei Technologies and ZTE. In 2019, the FCC barred China Mobile Ltd. from the U.S. market over national security concerns. ComNet, a subsidiary of Pacific Networks, and the unit formally known as China Unicom (Americas) Operations Ltd. were told in April by the FCC to show they are independent from the Chinese government, or face a proceeding that could result in ejection from the U.S. market. With its vote Wednesday the FCC began those proceedings. China Unicom and Pacific Networks are indirectly and ultimately owned and controlled by the government of the People's Republic of China, the FCC said in news releases Wednesday. The companies may present evidence in proceedings set in motion, according to the news releases.
same as Russia (Score:4, Interesting)
Fine. We know how to deal with powerful countries that are nonetheless our idealogical aadversaries: Russia. When was the last time you bought a sophisticated item that was "made in Russian"? Last year? 10 years ago? Oh, "never" you say. Yup, we buy vodka and raw materials from Russia, and not much else.
In the long run, that's probably what we're headed for with China as well. At the moment, we cant do it. China dominates too many supply chains for us to quickly say no to their electronics. However, over the next 10-20 years we will slowly move manufacturing and assembly to other places and "made in China" will become similar to "made in Russia". It won't be exactly the same because China is so much bigger... but overall Chinese electronics will simply not be trusted. There simply isn't any firewall between their companies and the CCP.
Industrialization (Score:2)
Industrialized countries that can produce cheap goods:
Brazil
India
Maritus
Mexico
South Korea
Taiwan
Vietnam
There are many others.
Re: (Score:2)
Did we ever buy many finished goods from Russia? Even during the Yeltsin years?
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Try disassembling one and reassembling it - you will see my point.
Re: (Score:2)
That's barely a blip on the radar. We probably buy more cell phones in a year than the total number of Kalashnikov rifles ever bought in the United States. Not just counting the AK-47, but the other AK revisions as well.
Re:same as Russia (Score:5, Insightful)
It's not only failed as a policy, it's backfired spectacularly. We've helped turn China into an economic, tech, and manufacturing powerhouse, jump-starting them by decades, such that now they can either compete with, or in case, are more advanced than western tech. Politically, now that Xi-Pooh is dictator-for-life, he seems willing crack down even more on free speech and independent thought, and has no qualms about enslaving and "re-education" entire minority populations.
China is now flexing its muscles culturally as well. Hollywood, in a hilariously hypocritical fashion, allows themselves to be censored by China, or willingly self-censors their own productions, all in order to hopefully gain access to the massive and lucrative Chinese market. In my own industry, videogames, massive companies like Tencent are buying up huge stakes in videogame companies all over the world. When the chips are down, do you really expect them not to use their economic leverage to push these companies into a pro-China stance? Remember the Blizzard / Hong Kong controversy? Witness how, when a Taiwanese company mocked Xi-Pooh, how quickly they were excluded from online stores like Steam and GoG, *permanently*, even after apologizing and removing the offending content. That's the result of the massive, soft pressure Chinese money can do to influence decision-makers.
Why do we owe brutal authoritarian regimes engaging in genocide the same access to lucrative US markets, when it's clear that such access only strengthens them in the long run? I really hope the US, and hopefully the world at large, begins to re-think their economic entanglements with China. I don't dislike China, or especially not the Chinese people. I just don't want to help support such an authoritarian regime any more. Frustratingly, as a consumer, I have little choice in the matter, except to completely abstain from buying a vast proportion of manufactured goods, or do business with a great many videogame companies. And, to be blunt, it would end up being a symbolic gesture that does little good.
Re: (Score:2)
Seriously, I will give the Chinese govt. full and complete access to all my telecommunications if it means not having to talk to Comcast or Verizon again ever.
Bring me some of that tasty totalitarian goodness today. Immanentize the eschaton while you're at it.
Re: (Score:1)
Why not just remove the GOP regulation (banning municipalities from creating their own networks etc) and make it easier for domestic firms to compete? Split the big boys up like we did with Ma Bell back in the day. The politicians keep yelling about Google and Twitter when they really should be aiming their sights at the true gatekeepers: Verizon, Comcast, Universal et al. If we had a free market, we wouldn't need to turn to foreign companies with huge sums of cash.
Re: (Score:2)
Once you start buying sophisticated items it is extremely difficult to stop. You never bought ones from Russia, because USA general purpose retail never established such relationships. There was no need. Some USA industries are not so lucky - just ask ULA how easy it has been weaning themselves off the RD180 engine.
The ULA/RD180 situation is multiplied not by 10, not by 1000, but by about one million times in the case of China and other industries.
By the way, you can see how trying to wean
Re: (Score:2)
The US is still the second largest manufacturing center in the world. Don't write it off so quickly. Yes, there will be pain, and prices will rise, but US manufacturing and businesses are very adaptable. Russia NEVER had anything like the industrial base that we have.
The US is (imperfectly) free market, (imperfectly) capitalist, and (strongly) democratic. China is.... I'm not sure what they are. Totalitarian? A heredity oligarchy? Certainly
Re: (Score:2)
It wasn't all Trump's paranoia? (Score:3)
This frenzy for blocking China was supposed to be all Trump's fault. So why does it continue?
Re: (Score:2)
This frenzy for blocking China was supposed to be all Trump's fault. So why does it continue?
Leverage in upcoming trade negotiations.
Re: (Score:2)
It's pretty convenient to blame the previous administration for everything bad, while continuing to leverage it. If history is any indication when we accused Trump of blaming Obama for everything, he didn't listen. I doubt Biden will listen either.
Re: (Score:2)
> Trump's fault
He might have a lot of faults, but this one needs to be counted as an accomplishment. FTFY.
I remember the good old days (Score:2)
Before modern networks, we had the concept of private phones in the sense that anyone in your house could lift the handset listen in, the government could tap into it with a simple lineman's handset, and anyone with a radio setup outside your home could pick up the EMF from the voice coils on the handset.
But we're worried the Chinese are going to infiltrate our super-secure and weakly encrypted "modern" system.
Cementing monopolies in the US (Score:2)
You guys who kept complaining how bad your carriers, like Comcast, have been? Rejoice! Your chance of having that monopoly broken have just been reduced significantly.
Guess which one other country that have a large enough local market to grow companies that can compete with American near-monopoly carriers? Now the US govt blocked those companies from entering the US, means that American carriers can safely squeeze you dry as they are safe from any competition.
5 years down the road we can see how much far
Trung quc tht s rt mnh (Score:1)
Let's be a mirror (Score:1)
Oh, hi, Chinese firm. What's that? You want to operate within the United States? Well then, you'll need to set up a new JV with a local firm where they have 51% ownership and unfettered access to all your IP.
Just to ask. (Score:1)