US House to vote on bill to address potential Huawei, ZTE threats
- The bill would require the State Department to report on US Nato allies and others using equipment in their 5G networks from Huawei and ZTE
- Washington’s efforts to counter the Chinese tech giants come amid US fears that Beijing could use them to spy on Americans
The House of Representatives is set to vote next week on a bill to crack down on Chinese telecoms companies Huawei Technologies Co and ZTE that have been deemed security threats by the US government.
The House said on Tuesday it will take up a bipartisan bill called the Countering Untrusted Telecommunications Abroad Act that would require the State Department to report on US Nato allies and others using telecoms equipment or services in their 5G networks from companies like Huawei and ZTE.
“We need to redouble our efforts to protect our national security and interests, help our allies take vital measures for their own security, and stand firmly in defence of fundamental rights,” said Representative Susan Wild, the Democratic sponsor of the measure.
The legislation would also require publicly traded companies to disclose whether they have contracted to use Huawei or ZTE or services covered under the bill. Huawei and ZTE did not immediately comment.
The bill would also mandate a report on telecoms vulnerabilities in US embassies overseas, and direct the US State Department to identify key telecoms infrastructure projects to promote US national security.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in November banned approvals of new telecoms equipment from Huawei and ZTE, saying they pose “an unacceptable risk” to US national security.
Last year, the Chinese embassy in Washington said the FCC “abused state power and maliciously attacked Chinese telecoms operators again without factual basis”. Huawei has repeatedly denied allegations of wrongdoing and said the US government has “unlawfully and irrationally” targeted the company.
