Trump Takes Aim At Huawei, Paves Way For Ban Of Foreign Telecom Equipment
NPRTrump Takes Aim At Huawei, Paves Way For Ban Of Foreign Telecom Equipment Enlarge this image toggle caption Tony Gutierrez/AP Tony Gutierrez/AP President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday designed to bar U.S. telecommunications networks from using equipment from foreign suppliers, a move apparently targeting Chinese telecom giant Huawei. The order declares a "national emergency" and says that "foreign adversaries are increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in information and communications technology and services" and committing economic and industrial espionage against the U.S. Trump's order directs Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to draft rules to restrict the purchase of information and communications technology from companies "owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a foreign adversary." Separately, the Commerce Department reportedly said Wednesday it was adding Huawei to its "Entity List," preventing it from buying components from American companies without U.S. government approval. Sponsor Message Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, also a member of the Senate intelligence committee, said in a statement, "Let's cut to the chase: China's main export is espionage, and the distinction between the Chinese Communist Party and Chinese 'private-sector' businesses like Huawei is imaginary.