The United States has taken another final step in its continuing struggle to limit the presence of Chinese technology in local markets. This has seen major online retailers in operation in the United States remove millions of product listings of Chinese electronics under pressure from the Federal Communications Commission FCC. This move is part of a wider national security plan that would reduce the dangers of having Chinese-made equipment that might be used to spy on the people or interfere with communications.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr said that the products taken off included home security cameras, smart watches, and other electronic devices brought in by such manufacturers as Huawei, ZTE, Hikvision, and Dahua. A good percentage of these products are either listed in the list of the banned equipment in the United States or were not adequately configured to be sold in the United States. The FCC has been tightening its grip on policies which do not allow such products to fall into the hands of American consumers, and this is due to the fact that it would provide the Chinese government with access to sensitive information or communication systems.
Chair Carr clarified how the concerned online platforms have established new systems to prevent the re-posting of banned products. He further confirmed the FCC with regard to continued monitoring and enforcement. The agency has issued multiple warnings that some of the Chinese-made devices may facilitate the Chinese to spy on Americans or disrupt their communication networks. These statements have been the basis of the U.S. national security policy over the last few years as the conflict between Washington and Beijing has been gaining momentum in various spheres of relations, such as trade, technology, and Defence.
The recent crackdown is hence a reflection of the larger effort by the U.S to limit the use of Chinese technology on key infrastructure. In the past years, the FCC and other government agencies have implemented several orders to prevent or restrict any entities that are associated with China. The Huawei, ZTE, China Mobile and China Telecom firms are all listed in the FCC covered list and thus, ban the importation or sale of new equipment by the listed firms. According to the FCC, these restrictions cannot be eliminated since it is necessary to protect U.S. communication networks against espionage and other security threats.
The agency will later in the month vote on new regulations that will further tighten the constraints. The suggested steps exclude the approval of gadgets that will include any element parts that are provided by corporations on the Covered List. Also, the FCC would be in a position to withdraw any pre-approved devices that are found, upon re-examination, to be a security risk. This course of action is indicative of a strong will by the U.S. regulators to stamp out the remaining loopholes through which the Chinese-made technology could find its way into the market in an indirect manner.
In early 2019, the Federal Communications Commission FCC started to investigate several other Chinese organisations, i.e., Hytera Communications and China Unicom, as part of a more comprehensive review of companies already included in the Covered List. As part of the same, the agency has also launched an action to withdraw recognition of Chinese government-controlled testing laboratories conducting operations in the United States; the latter were to certify electronic products to be sold in the domestic market. The FCC believes that these types of entities cannot be trusted with the responsibility of maintaining the U.S. standards of security FCC, 2024.
The Chinese government is yet to come out with an urgent response to these actions. However, similar actions in the past have elicited a strong backlash in Beijing, which has accused Washington of doing so with its companies that are being disproportionately attacked on political grounds. Nevertheless, the U.S. authorities still maintain that the measures are necessary to preserve the national interests and safeguard consumers CSIS, 2023.
The recent action is yet another step in strengthening the U.S. policy against Chinese technology companies. It goes beyond the considerations of trade and competition to include control of data and communication networks and essential infrastructure. The fact that millions of online listings were removed shows the efforts of Washington in implementing its security laws.
This can be interpreted by the American consumers as less access to affordable electronics and by the U.S. regulators as a perceived victory in their efforts to weaken foreign presence in key industries Miller, 2024. The message of the FCC is very clear: the security of the nation is paramount over the issues of convenience or price.
