Japan and Allies Must Cooperate to Edge-out China
US and partners must meet China’s authoritarian challenge in 5G
Excerpts and salient points ~
+ China’s policies — ranging from its legal structure to the Made in China 2025 industrial prioritization — make clear its intentions. In contrast, the United States and its allies have clear oversight structures and independent judicial review of their foreign intelligence gathering. Furthermore, western intelligence activities are focused on national security aims, not intellectual property theft or industrial espionage.
+ For an increasing number of illiberal democracies, there is also appeal in adopting aspects of China’s high-tech surveillance state. However, this cheap technology — made affordable by state subsidy and industrial espionage — is often combined with concessionary agreements that make a 5G network beholden to maintenance and software updates from Chinese vendors.
U.S. policymakers should look at Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe proposed policy called “Data Free Flow with Trust” as a starting point for harmonizing open societies’ data governance standards.
+ Beyond this, the United States and its allies must make it clear that there are other costs to be considered when adopting Chinese 5G equipment, with consequences for economic exchange and security cooperation.
+ While it may be cheaper, countries must consider the possible expense if they lose access to U.S. and allied networks and technologies, as well as the loss of sovereignty and security involved if they are beholden to Chinese suppliers.
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