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United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Ajit Pai said that possible Chinese espionage and threats to the United States’ telecommunications networks and Internet freedom are the biggest national security problem that regulators face in the next four years.
Ajit Pai told Reuters in an interview that there is a “wide range” of activities in China that is of concern, including surveillance, economic espionage and potential “malware injection into networks here in the United States or around the world. There is a several bad things that can happen when unsafe equipment is used to handle confidential information. “
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Pai was named president in January 2017 by former President Donald Trump and stepped down on Wednesday. During his tenure, the FCC cracked down on Chinese network makers like Huawei and ZTE.
Last month, the FCC began the process of revoking China’s Telecom authorization to operate in the United States. China Telecom is the largest Chinese telecommunications company.
“The Chinese Communist Party has a very determined worldview. They want to dominate this space and exercise their will – even beyond their own borders,” said Pai on Tuesday. “This is a serious threat not only to freedom on the Internet, but to national security for us and for many of our allies.”
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The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in December that the US claims about national security risks were false.
The FCC first warned in April that it could shut down US operations for three state-controlled Chinese telecommunications companies, including China Telecom.
In 2019, the FCC voted to deny state-owned China Mobile the right to provide U.S. telecommunications services, citing the risks of the Chinese government using approval to conduct espionage.
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Under Pai, the FCC formally designated Huawei and China’s ZTE Corp as threats to national security, preventing American companies from tapping into a $ 8.3 billion government fund to buy equipment from the companies. Congress approved $ 1.9 billion in December to pay for the replacement of Chinese-made equipment on American networks.
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In April, the FCC approved Alphabet Google’s request to use part of a US-Asia submarine telecommunications cable, but not for Hong Kong, after US agencies raised national security issues.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by David Gregorio)