Is the US shooting itself in the foot by banning Huawei?

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weig2000

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...Continued.

Unlike the United States, European wireless networks are much more dependent on Huawei, so banning its equipment would be far more consequential. Many of the leading carriers, including Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom, use the company’s equipment, and a widespread ban would result in costly changes that executives have warned may delay the debut of 5G in the region.

Garrett Marquis, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said the United States continued to work “with our allies and like-minded partners to mitigate risk in the deployment of 5G and other communications infrastructure.”

Mr. Rogers said the notion that other nations could adequately manage the security risk was misplaced. “They are so convinced they can get over the security problem. It defies logic,” he said.

But he said Mr. Trump had not helped his administration’s efforts by suggesting that a national security matter like Huawei could be wrapped into some type of trade pact with China.

“That is a big mistake,” Mr. Rogers said. “You have taken a national security issue and given it away in a trade deal. This is about the security of data.”

Europeans have their own China trade worries, which could also factor into reluctance to ban Huawei. Although European officials have grown increasingly suspicious of Beijing’s growing economic might, China is still the European Union’s
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after the United States. This week, Mr. Xi is scheduled to be in Italy.

“I’m not sure a ban is the solution,” said Caroline Nagtegaal, a member of European Parliament from the Netherlands who helped write a resolution on the cybersecurity risks posed by China that avoided calling for a Huawei ban. “We have to be very careful making a step like that.”

Many countries facing American pressure have not made any final decisions. In Britain, for instance, intelligence officials say the threat can be managed, but the government could ultimately overrule them.

To bolster its campaign, the administration has begun threatening retaliation against countries that do not agree to its demands.

Mr. Pompeo suggested in Hungary that the presence of Huawei could influence decisions on where to station troops overseas, noting that its adoption in wireless networks would make it “more difficult for America to be present.” He
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, saying if countries adopted Huawei technology, the United States “won’t be able to share information” with them.

The American ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, expanded on Mr. Pompeo’s public messaging with a letter to Berlin, warning of repercussions should it use Huawei. The letter
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by The Wall Street Journal.

Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany quickly shot back, saying her country was “defining our standards for ourselves.”

Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a former American intelligence officer who is now the director of the Transtlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, said administration officials had wrongly framed the decision for European powers as standing with either the United States or China. Countries in Europe, including Britain and Germany, do not want to make that choice, and instead want to maintain good trade relations with China.

“The U.S. needs to approach this not as a black and white issue,” Ms. Kendall-Taylor said. “The U.S. should avoid generating more resentment in already fraught relations with the Europeans. To manage the China challenge we will need the Europeans on our side, so we need to work together.”

The Trump administration has had some small victories, at least rhetorically. The Czech Republic’s cybersecurity agency has
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and other Chinese telecom companies, though the government remains divided over a ban. Poland earned praise from Vice President Mike Pence for its actions against Huawei, which included
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on espionage charges. But as Poland courts Chinese investment, it is unclear if it will embrace a full ban.

The most decisive action against Huawei by an American ally is outside Europe, where Australia last year banned the company from its 5G networks.

The administration continues to
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to put Huawei at a global disadvantage, including an executive order that would prohibit American companies from using Chinese telecommunications gear in 5G networks. Intelligence and security officials are also considering a more aggressive presidential order that would prevent American companies from supplying Huawei with components that it needs to build 5G networks.

While Huawei would eventually make its own version of those components, such export restrictions could slow down the company’s 5G development, winning time for competitors to improve their own offerings.

American officials are also exploring ways to counter Huawei’s biggest advantage: its low price and financing deals. Members of Congress and administration officials have discussed ways for the United States and its allies to offset the favorable financing deals China offers for its telecom equipment. Among the options under consideration is providing some type of financing to allied telecom companies building 5G networks.

While the United States has continued to talk tough, Mr. Trump has yet to sign any executive order that would curb Huawei’s growth and his recent comments have created doubt about how far he is prepared to go.

Last month, the White House dispatched officials from the State, Defense and Commerce Departments and from the Federal Communications Commission to a wireless industry conference in Barcelona, Spain, to make the case against Huawei. But a few days before the convention started, Mr. Trump appeared to backtrack on his administration’s position, posting on Twitter that he wanted American companies to win on their merits, “
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currently more advanced technologies.”

“The administration policy on Huawei and ZTE has been characterized by fits and starts and contradictions,” said Representative Adam B. Schiff, Democrat of California, who has been a top critic of Mr. Trump. “I am not sure I can make heads or tails of it.”

American and European officials said that behind the scenes, the negotiations were far more nuanced than the public threats. Some European officials believe that privately the White House has been more receptive to their arguments that the security threat of Chinese telecom companies can be tempered.

But the efforts to cajole or pressure European powers may have come too late, say current and former European and American officials. European officials have also told their American counterparts that there is no alternative to Huawei that offers better, more secure equipment, even at a higher price.

British officials have said the risk from Huawei can be mitigated without a ban, through tough oversight and restricting Huawei to less critical parts of its networks. The British government operates a security lab where it inspects Huawei’s equipment and code for cybersecurity flaws. Last year, the inspections discovered problems with Huawei software code, but the authorities said it was not related to the Chinese government.

Germany is taking a similar approach, with Huawei opening a research center in the city of Bonn where security officials can review its products. The company has also opened a facility in Brussels.

Mark Sedwill, Britain’s national security adviser, said it was more important to focus on the security of the system, not the origin of the company that made the equipment. Criminal hackers, not the governments of other countries, remain the biggest threat, he said.

“We think we have a pretty mature approach to this that so far — through regulation, through transparency, through setting very close standards — is protecting our interests and securing economic benefits,” Mr. Sedwill said this month during a speech at the Atlantic Council.

Julian E. Barnes reported from Washington, and Adam Satariano from London. David E. Sanger contributed reporting from Washington, and Melissa Eddy from Berlin.
 

SamuraiBlue

Captain
Yep. Governor Denny Tamaki may take you up on this offer and build Huawei Cell Towers all over Okinawa.
He can't since Huawei is prohibited by the Japanese government to be used in tele-communication infrastructure. A governor does not have the power to override ruling of the central government.
 
He can't since Huawei is prohibited by the Japanese government to be used in tele-communication infrastructure. A governor does not have the power to override ruling of the central government.


Do you have source where Huawei is specifically targeted by this prohibition? the guidelines provided does not specify Huawei and only applies to Central Government and JSDF. Local Government and private entities are not bound by such restriction. If necessary he can build dummy Huawei cell tower just to freak out Pompeo. Should be effective tool for Okinawans.

70% of Okinawans rejected US base on a referendum just 2 weeks ago. Building the towers may be more effective than negotiating with the central government.

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SamuraiBlue

Captain
Do you have source where Huawei is specifically targeted by this prohibition? the guidelines provided does not specify Huawei and only applies to Central Government and JSDF. Local Government and private entities are not bound by such restriction. If necessary he can build dummy Huawei cell tower just to freak out Pompeo. Should be effective tool for Okinawans.

70% of Okinawans rejected US base on a referendum just 2 weeks ago. Building the towers may be more effective than negotiating with the central government.

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There is no definition between local and central for Japan since we are not a republic. If the Communication laws specifies that certain company(ies) are prohibited from usage then all prefectures are covered by this law.
 
There is no definition between local and central for Japan since we are not a republic. If the Communication laws specifies that certain company(ies) are prohibited from usage then all prefectures are covered by this law.

You contradict yourself by stating that the local governor cannot override the central government. Now you are saying there is no distinction between the 2. Sigh.

Can you provide source on where in the "communication Laws" states whatever you claim is being prohibited specially where it states that certain company(ies)<HUAWEI?> are prohibited then all prefectures are covered by this law. I like your choice of word IF as you know this claim does not exist. Not yet anyway if ever.
 
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SamuraiBlue

Captain
You contradict yourself by stating that the local governor cannot override the central government. Now you are saying there is no distinction between the 2. Sigh.

Can you provide source on where in the communication Laws states whatever you claim is being prohibited specially where it states that certain company(ies) are prohibited from using Huawei then all prefectures are covered by this law. I like your choice of word IF as what you claim does not exist. Not yet anyway if ever.
Contradicting myself?
Don't think so since there are governors elected to head the prefecture local government to manage work that is not covered by the central government like police, construction zoning and other tasks but only central government can draw bills into laws and the law once issued will be enforced throughout Japan.
Like I said Japan is not a republic like the US.
 
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