President Trump directed government departments to find ways to procure as few Chinese goods or services as possible to reduce the risk of espionage before his term ends, the White House national security adviser said Friday.
In a statement, Robert O’Brien accused China of targeting U.S. information systems to gain access to personnel records, military programs and other data through networks and other means.
For that reason, the United States must act accordingly to protect its interests,” O’Brien said. We must adjust regulations and policies and reduce other actions necessary to reduce the risk of Chinese technology and human espionage against the federal government.”
O’Brien said Trump directed government agencies to conduct reviews to “minimize the federal government’s purchases of Chinese goods and services.”
National security adviser O’Brien did not mention procurement examples in his statement, but a top official said the purpose of doing so was to stop Chinese attempts to infiltrate U.S. IT networks.
The official said, “Anything to do with Chinese companies that are equipping components in our networks could be a vulnerability that allows China’s civil-military integration strategy to continue.”
He said, “If there is hardware coming into our network systems, it could be a potential vulnerability.”
Trump’s directive, given less than a week before his term expires, is seen as the latest in a series of moves against China. Analysts believe it was done to lock in a tough stance against Beijing.
Trump has pursued tough policies against China on issues such as trade, espionage and the new crown virus.
Recent Comments