The success of the Trump administration’s “Clean Network” (also known as the Clean Network) initiative has resulted in huawei Technologies being deemed an untrusted provider and excluded from many countries’ critical telecommunications infrastructure 5G wireless networks. As of December, more than 50 countries (representing more than two-thirds of the world’s economies) and 180 telecommunications companies had joined the U.S. government-led “Clean Network” program.
Those joining include 26 of the EU’s 27 member states, as well as technologically advanced countries such as Japan, Israel, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, Canada, New Zealand and India.
At the beginning of this year, however, the success of this program was still unthinkable.
For years, the U.S. has tried to convince its allies to avoid Chinese manufacturers such as Huawei and ZTE on national security grounds, and the Trump administration has warned of the risks of relying on Chinese technology, which is deeply embedded in the next generation of global telecommunications. But at the time, the U.S. government’s efforts had little success.
In February, Huawei announced it had 91 commercial 5G contracts outside China, 47 in Europe and 20 in Asia, and in January the U.K. announced it would allow Huawei to supply 5G equipment, sparking tensions between the U.K. and the U.S. Huawei publicly stated on its website that “the U.S. has repeatedly asked its allies to ban Huawei’s 5G development, but most countries have refused.”
In an effort to turn the tide, and in accordance with the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, the U.S. State Department launched a campaign in April to require a “clean path” for all 5G network traffic to and from U.S. diplomatic facilities. The Clean Path is the first initiative in the Clean Network Strategy, which aims to protect critical U.S. data and networks from the Chinese Communist Party and address the “persistent threat to data privacy, security, human rights, and principled cooperation posed by authoritarian and malicious actors.
In May, the Commerce Department tightened export controls on Huawei, saying it posed a security threat. The Pentagon subsequently blacklisted the company because of Huawei’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party’s military.
The State Department has actively campaigned internationally for a clean network, explaining the U.S. actions against Huawei to countries and urging others to take similar measures to secure their 5G networks and protect the personal information of their citizens.
Behind the Clean Web: Uniting Allies to Fight Back Against Bullies
Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Keith Krach is the driving force behind this effort, coining the term “clean web” and leading the cleanup by rallying allies. Within months, the Clean Network had gained overwhelming international support.
“The momentum of Clean Web turned around the master plan of Huawei and the Chinese Communist Party,” Krutch told the Epoch Times. “It proved that Chinese companies can be defeated. In the process, we exposed that their biggest weakness is a lack of trust.”
According to Kratch, the biggest weakness of Chinese companies like Huawei “is that no one trusts them.” And that trust issue has become a strategic tool for the U.S. government.
Since the Communist Party passed the National Intelligence Law in June 2017, all Chinese citizens and companies have been required to turn over any requested information or data to the regime. Huawei is the backbone of the Communist Party’s surveillance state, and for years the regime has been strong-arming governments around the world into buying its 5G infrastructure and services, Kratch said.
Countries and companies are terrified of the CCP’s intimidation, retaliation,” he said. It is basically a bully. If you are fearless of the bully, the bully will back off, and if you have friends who stand with you, the bully will back off even more.”
The growing coalition has become a “security blanket” for countries and telecom operators against Beijing’s retaliation.
After the U.S. government’s campaign, Huawei’s deals outside China dropped from 91 to “maybe a dozen,” according to Kratch.
So far, 27 of the 30 NATO members and 31 of the 37 OECD members have joined the clean network.
In another major victory for the Trump administration, the U.K. reversed its January decision and in July announced plans to ban Huawei from future 5G networks. mobile providers in the country will be banned from buying new Huawei equipment after Dec. 31.
While Germany is not yet on board, the tide has turned in Germany as well, with Berlin preparing legislation that would impose tough new restrictions on telecom equipment providers and make it nearly impossible for Huawei to participate in the country’s 5G network, Krazy said.
“We have reversed the Communist Party’s 5G plans,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted on Dec. 23.
“The U.S. proudly joins its partners in the EU, ‘Three Seas Summit,’ ‘NATO’ and ‘OECD’ in a clean network to counter malicious Chinese Communist influence. Alliances built on trust will always prevail over surveillance states.” He said.
Continued Expansion of Clean Networks Program
The U.S. government has been building on its success, and in August Pompeo announced an expansion of the Clean Network program to include clean carriers (ensuring that no untrusted carriers connect to the network), clean apps and App stores, clean cloud services (protecting Americans’ data) and clean cables (ensuring that underwater cables connecting the U.S. to the global Internet are protected) Inclusion. President Trump signed two executive orders in August to address the threat posed by the popular Chinese-owned apps TikTok and WeChat.
In addition, the Clean Web adds a number of industry leaders as clean companies, including Oracle, Hewlett-Packard, NEC, Fujitsu and Cisco. These clean companies will be looking for trusted national 5G networks to invest in or expand their operations. Clutch said, “Declaring you’re a clean country means sending a good signal to the U.S. private sector that this is a good place to invest.”
Krutch defined the 5G effort as a “beachhead” for a broader economic battle with the Communist Party. He sees the coalition of democracies as the “golden key” because it lays the foundation for many other areas such as clean money, clean data and clean Internet of Things.
The next frontier beyond technology has already begun, according to Kratch, with clean infrastructure and clean financing known as the Blue Dot Network to counter the Communist Party’s Belt and Road. Other areas include clean minerals, clean supply chains and clean labor practices.
Transatlantic Alliance
In January 2020, the European Commission, together with EU member states, released an EU toolkit to ensure the deployment of secure 5G networks across Europe.
The inclusion of the EU 5G Clean Toolbox as part of the Clean Network during Clutch’s visit to Europe in late September marked a turning point for the U.S. government.
On September 30, EU Commissioner Thierry Breton and Kratch issued a joint statement highlighting their commitment to the principle of secure 5G sharing. They also announced synergies between the Clean Web and the EU Toolkit. Any country that implements the EU Toolbox will be considered part of the clean network.
In the joint statement, Breton said, “The 5G Toolbox can be used as a reference for the boards of telecom operators who need to make decisions about 5G suppliers,” and “if they choose a high-risk 5G supplier, board members are held accountable for what might happen. “
On the same day, NATO also expressed support for the U.S. government’s campaign, stressing the importance of having a secure 5G-clean NATO network.
In October, the Three Seas Initiative, a forum of 12 EU countries in Central and Eastern Europe, also announced its support for a “clean network” at its annual meeting in Estonia.
Krač also traveled to the Latin American Enlargement Alliance in November to secure commitments from Brazil, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic to join the Clean Network.
NATO members Turkey, Iceland and Hungary (also a member of the European Union) have yet to join the Clean Network. But Kratch believes more countries and more companies, including telecommunications companies, will join the fast-growing alliance.
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