Huawei, ZTE Equipment Sales Banned by US Over Security Risks

 

The US has rubber-stamped new rules banning approvals of new telecoms equipment from China’s Huawei Technologies and ZTE claiming they pose “an unacceptable risk” to US national security.

The United States will also bar the sale or import of equipment made by China’s surveillance equipment maker Dahua Technology, video surveillance firm Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology and telecoms firm Hytera Communications, the US Federal Communications Commission announced on Friday.

The move represents Washington’s latest crackdown on the Chinese tech giants amid fears that Beijing could use Chinese tech companies to spy on Americans.

 

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“These new rules are an important part of our ongoing actions to protect the American people from national security threats involving telecommunications,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement.

Huawei declined to comment. ZTE, Dahua, Hikvision and Hytera did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Rosenworcel circulated the proposed measure, which effectively bars the firms from selling new equipment in the US, to the other three commissioners for final approval last month.

The FCC said in June 2021 it was considering banning all equipment authorisations for all companies on the covered list.

That came after a March 2021 designation of five Chinese companies on the so-called “covered list” as posing a threat to national security under a 2019 law aimed at protecting US communications networks, namely Huawei, ZTE, Hytera Communications Corp Hikvision and Dahua.

 

• Reuters with additional editing by Sean O’Meara

 

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