The U.S. is urging allies to ban networking products from countries without independent court systems, an approach intended to block China’s Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp. from competing for new 5G telecommunications networks in Europe and Asia.
Rob Strayer, the State Department’s deputy assistant for cyber policy, said in an interview that some European countries are signaling support for broader rules that would effectively freeze Chinese 5G products out of their markets.
The U.S. is engaged in a global campaign to keep Chinese tech companies out of advanced 5G networks promising faster connections, enabling uses such as autonomous vehicles and remote surgery. American officials fear that the Chinese government may force companies such as Huawei to incorporate software code or hardware that would allow Beijing to spy on the U.S. or allies and disrupt sectors ranging from power to transportation and manufacturing in a crisis.
