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| Strengthening the proposal to ban Huawei devices |
The US Federal Communications Commission has unanimously approved a plan that would ban Chinese companies such as Huawei and ZTE, considered a national security threat, from allowing devices to be used on US telecom networks.
The vote was opposed by Beijing. Under the rules proposed with preliminary approval, the FCC could also revoke device licenses previously granted to Chinese companies.
A Huawei spokesperson said the FCC review was unnecessarily misleading and punitive.
Acting FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworsel said the new measures will remove untrusted devices from our communications network. Through the process of licensing our devices, we provide opportunities for Huawei and other Chinese devices to use them in the United States. So we recommend closing this door.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said the FCC has cleared more than 3,000 Huawei claims since 2018.
In the future, FCC actions prohibit the licensing of all communication devices that are seen as an unacceptable national security risk.
Without any evidence, the United States is still violating national security and state authority to attack Chinese companies, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian.
"We once again call on the United States not to expand the concept of national security any further and stop politicizing economic issues," Zhao said at a regular press conference in Beijing.
In March of this year, the commission listed five Chinese companies as national security threats. This is based on the 2019 US Communications Network Protection Act.
The United States tightens its ban on Huawei:
A group of US lawmakers has praised the FCC's work, saying it reflects bipartisan goals for the legislation.
They said the commission voted to remove vulnerable Chinese devices from the US communications network and put national security first.
The affected companies are Huawei and ZTE as well as Hytera, Hikvision and Dahua.
Huawei has stated that bans on purchasing devices by country or brand are counterproductive and discriminatory. It does not help protect the integrity of the US communications network or supply chain.
In August 2020, the US government banned federal agencies from purchasing goods or services from any of these five Chinese companies.
In 2019, the United States blacklisted companies such as Huawei and Hikvision.
Huawei and ZTE were identified as national security threats to telecom networks by the US Federal Communications Commission last year. The ad prevented US companies from using $8.3 billion in government funds to purchase equipment from the company.
Last December, the commission ended the requirement that operators with ZTE or Huawei devices replace their devices.
He proposed a compensation plan for this, and US lawmakers approved $1.9 billion in funding in December.