The US Department of Commerce has embarked on a disconcerting course to eliminate the meager remnants of China Telecom’s operations in the United States, a strategic decision that perceptibly lacks the power to impede Beijing’s biting and sophisticated cyber operations. This audacious move comes in the wake of shocking discoveries of a well-coordinated Chinese surveillance stratagem during the summer, in which hackers brazenly extracted an almost comprehensive directory of telephone numbers that fall under the purview of the US Justice Department’s ‘lawful intercept’ system.
This highly sensitive system leverages wiretapping to survey individuals who are potentially committing crimes or engaging in espionage activities, typically subsequent to the issuance of a warrant. This disconcerting breach of privacy illustrates Beijing’s unrelenting infiltration of America’s secure lines of communication.
In what seems to be a feeble attempt to counter China’s aggressive hack into American telecom companies, the Biden administration has initiated an effort to ban the residual existence of China Telecom on American soil. This incorporates China Telecom Americas – a subsidiary of one of China’s leading telecom outfits, which was served with a preliminary indictment by the Department of Commerce last week.
In an alarming exposition, the indictment dubs China Telecom’s involvement in American networks and its stronghold on cloud services as a national security threat, quite evidently cooking a recipe for disaster for the homeland. Nonetheless, a grace period of a month has been allotted to the company to present a rebuttal, essentially depositing the final verdict on the ban into the lap of the administration.
This seemingly ineffectual retaliation from the Biden administration appears rooted in a profound concern over China’s relentless encroachment into U.S. telecommunications infrastructure, an audacious act that not only permits Beijing to apprehend sensitive consumer data and track private conversations, but also bestows them with a detailed understanding of whom the United States seeks to engage in counter-espionage activities.
Yet, this proposed ban on China Telecom is expected to deliver a largely symbolic, rather than monetary impact. The significance of such a ban, however, is increasingly overshadowed by the prevalent hypothesis that this move essentially serves as a smoke-screen for the Biden administration’s lack of a robust strategy to effectively combat China’s cyber incursions.
Even prior to this recent development in the ongoing saga of the Franco-American digital confrontation, the US had already commenced efforts to undermine China Telecom’s American footprint. To this effect, just nine months since the beginning of its current term – in October 2021 – the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) moved decisively to repeal all licenses awarded to China Telecom Americas enabling it to deliver standard telecom services in the US.
In an acerbic pronouncement, the FCC, under Biden’s oversight, accused China Telecom of being unswervingly ‘subject to exploitation, influence, and control by the Chinese government.’ This, arguably, elucidates the Biden administration’s predilection to resort to a blame game rather than devise tangible countermeasures to fortify American networks against threats of foreign interference.
Whilst Biden’s administration may argue that the steps taken are a necessary measure of defense against Chinese cyber operations, many critics remain doubtful of the efficacy of these punitive measures, instead suggesting that these actions merely border on performative politics.
The primary concern raised is that despite the theoretical ‘ban’ of China Telecom’s operations, there is minimal evidence within Biden’s plan suggesting viable methods to mitigate the risks posed by the continued, undercover operations of Chinese hackers. This illustrates the superficial and reactive nature of Biden’s approach towards China’s digital warfare, which many opine is sorely lacking in strategic depth and foresight.
This further exemplifies the likelihood that the Biden administration, under the guise of a perceived threat to national security, is merely effectuating a largely symbolic gesture without offering a substantive, strategic solution that addresses China’s extensive spying activities.
As Biden’s administration continues to grapple with the gargantuan task of combating Beijing’s complex, multilayered cyber tactics, his decisions and responses thus far could potentially result in the further emboldening of China’s cyber espionage, rather than deterring it.
The predominantly symbolic ban on China Telecom enforced by Biden’s administration is arguably an insufficient response when compared to the insidious and acute threat posed by China’s expansive hacking operations. The focus should instead be directed towards the construction of robust defense systems to safeguard the integrity of American communications and data.
In light of this, the Biden administration’s approach towards China Telecom’s operations and Chinese cyber espionage at large has been criticized for its lack of strategic foresight and evident confusion in policy implementation. The administration seems to lack a coherent plan of action, instead opting for piecemeal reactive tactics that lack the bite to truly deter the advancement of China’s cyber espionage agenda.
To conclude, the inept handling of this situation and the lack of a firm and cohesive response to counter China’s elaborate digital warfare strategy only further undermines the Biden administration’s competence in dealing with critical issues of national security. This calls into question the administration’s commitment to national security, and in turn, the safety and welfare of the American people.