Huawei is better positioned to spy on us than we think

The United States and its allies are arguing over whether governments should use telecommunications equipment manufactured by Huawei. However, 5G is not the only important communications network. In other parts of the world such as Latin America and Africa, Huawei is laying the submarine cables that carry most long-distance communications traffic. Other countries are more willing to work with Huawei because they know that the United States, too, has tapped into global cable networks. By taking advantage of the opportunity to tap into the world’s communications network, the US government has damaged its ability to counter the expansion of Chinese and non-US firms. Its current efforts to constrain Huawei and other Chinese firms in Europe do not address other countries’ lack of confidence in the proposed American alternatives.

[Jack Hasler is a PhD candidate in political science at George Washington University.]