The Biden administration yesterday announced a new squeeze against the products of some Chinese companies such as Huawei and ZTE.
As reported by Reuters, the Commerce Department has imposed the ban and importation of new products sold by various technology companies Chinese companies, which include Huawei and ZTE, citing “national security reasons”. This is not the first tightening decided by the American government, and even the administration of Donald Trump had carried on a heavy battle against Huawei.
The fear is that the Chinese government, exploiting its influence on local companies, could spy on American users using telecommunications equipment produced by the latter.
This last point was explained by the president of the American government agency that deals with telecommunications, Jessica Rosenworcel, according to whom “these new rules will protect Americans from national security threats related to the telecommunications sector”.
Other companies affected by this new ban include Dahua Technology Co, a Chinese manufacturer of surveillance equipment, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology (which operates in the same sector) and Hytera Communications Corp which operates in the telecommunications sector.
Huawei, asked by Reuters, declined to comment. ZTE, Dahua, Hytera and the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
On the other hand, Hikvision’s reaction lasts, according to which “This FCC decision will do nothing to protect US national security, but it will go a long way towards making it more harmful and more costly for US small businesses, local authorities, school districts, and individual consumers to protect themselves, their homes, companies and properties”.
