US bans Huawei, ZTE telecoms gear over security risk

AFP, Washington :
US authorities announced a ban Friday on the import or sale of communications equipment deemed “an unacceptable risk to national security” — including gear from Chinese giants Huawei Technologies and ZTE.
Both firms have been on a roster of companies listed as a threat by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the new rules bar future authorisations of their equipment. The move is the latest in a series of actions to limit the access of Chinese telecoms firms in United States networks, and comes amid a long-running standoff between the world’s two biggest economies.
US officials have shown growing wariness in recent years of Chinese telecommunications companies and technology.
“The FCC is committed to protecting our national security by ensuring that untrustworthy communications equipment is not authorised for use within our borders,” said the commission’s chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a statement.
She added that the new rules are a part of ongoing work to guard against security threats.