Donald Trump’s campaign against Huawei is a symptom of digital orientalism, ignoring similarities in Chinese and Western surveillance

The US’ targeting of Huawei is rooted in long-standing fears that China might challenge the idea of civilisational superiority on which the West constructs itself

Focusing on Chinese surveillance effaces the threat posed by Western tech giants

Josef Gregory Mahoney and Maximilian Mayer

Published: 6:30am, 18 Jan, 2020

Updated: 3:28pm, 17 Feb, 2020

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Josef Gregory Mahoney

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Josef Gregory Mahoney is professor of politics at East China Normal University in Shanghai, where he also directs the International Centre for Advanced Political Studies and the international graduate programme in politics. He was previously with the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau in Beijing, then China’s leading think tank.

Maximilian Mayer

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Maximilian Mayer is an assistant professor in international studies at the University of Nottingham Ningbo, China.

Donald Trump’s campaign against Huawei is a symptom of digital orientalism, ignoring similarities in Chinese and Western surveillance

The US’ targeting of Huawei is rooted in long-standing fears that China might challenge the idea of civilisational superiority on which the West constructs itself Focusing on Chinese surveillance effaces the threat posed by Western tech giants

The US’ targeting of Huawei is rooted in long-standing fears that China might challenge the idea of civilisational superiority on which the West constructs itself

Focusing on Chinese surveillance effaces the threat posed by Western tech giants