WASHINGTON, April 11 (Reuters) – The House of Representatives is due to vote next week on a bill to crack down on Chinese telecommunications companies Huawei and ZTE Corp (000063.SZ) which have been deemed security threats by the US government.
The House said Tuesday it would pass 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 telecommunications equipment or services. in their 5G networks from companies like Huawei and ZTE.
“We must redouble our efforts to protect our national security and interests, help our allies take vital steps for their own security, and stand firm in the defense of fundamental rights,” said Rep. Susan Wild, the measure’s Democratic patron.
The legislation would also require listed companies to disclose whether they have engaged in using Huawei or ZTE or services covered by the bill. Huawei and ZTE did not immediately comment.
The bill would also mandate reporting of telecommunications vulnerabilities at U.S. embassies abroad and direct the U.S. State Department to identify key telecommunications infrastructure projects to promote U.S. national security. .
The Federal Communications Commission in November banned approvals of new telecommunications equipment from Huawei and ZTE, saying they posed “an unacceptable risk” to US national security.
Last year, the Chinese Embassy in Washington said the FCC “abused state power and again maliciously attacked Chinese telecom operators without a factual basis.” Huawei has repeatedly denied allegations of wrongdoing and said the US government “illegally and irrationally” targeted the company.
Washington’s efforts to counter Chinese tech giants come amid US fears Beijing is using them to spy on Americans. Washington has for years pressured US allies not to use Huawei or ZTE equipment from 5G networks or to remove equipment from existing networks.
In 2019, Congress ordered the FCC to order U.S. telecom carriers receiving federal subsidies to purge their networks of telecom equipment that poses national security risks, with promises of reimbursement.
The FCC has named Huawei and ZTE as threats, forcing US companies to remove their equipment or be frozen out of an $8.3 billion government fund to purchase new gear. However, to fund the so-called “rip and replace” effort, Congress only allocated $1.9 billion.
The FCC said last year the companies needed an additional $3 billion to remove equipment made by Chinese telecom giants Huawei and ZTE from U.S. networks, bringing the estimated total cost to $4.98 billion. dollars.
Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Anna Driver
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