U.S. technology companies, including Google and Facebook, have now abandoned their plans to include Hong Kong in the Pacific Light Cable Network project.
In an application filed with the US Federal Communications Commission, the cable builder said that although construction of the cable is complete, it will not seek authorization to build a connection between the US and Hong Kong. Today, the cable project will include only the United States, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
The 8,000-mile cable project was originally announced in 2016, and once connected, the cable could greatly increase the speed of the network between locations around the world.
According to the BBC, a Google spokesperson confirmed that it had withdrawn its previous plans to connect to Hong Kong.
In June of this year, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement that establishing a fiber optic cable connection to Hong Kong would lead to the collection of U.S. communications information by the People’s Republic of China. The statement also referred to the Chinese government’s infringement on Hong Kong’s autonomy over the past year, and indicated that Beijing authorities may openly conduct intelligence gathering in Hong Kong in the future.
The U.S. Department of Justice stated in April that permitting a cable connection between the United States and Hong Kong would seriously endanger U.S. national security and pose significant risks. The U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Defense have echoed this sentiment.
In the United States, major international information transmission plans must be reviewed by a telecommunications team composed of several federal agencies. This telecom team has taken a strong stance against China in recent years, and in 2018 recommended that China Mobile’s application to provide telecommunications services over U.S. networks be denied on national security and law enforcement grounds.
Recent Comments