A pedestrian passes the Huawei logo painted on a wall in Lusaka, Zambia, on December 11, 2018. Many digital infrastructure projects in Zambia, like the more visible airport terminals and highways, are being built and financed by China. Photo: Bloomberg A pedestrian passes the Huawei logo painted on a wall in Lusaka, Zambia, on December 11, 2018. Many digital infrastructure projects in Zambia, like the more visible airport terminals and highways, are being built and financed by China. Photo: Bloomberg
A pedestrian passes the Huawei logo painted on a wall in Lusaka, Zambia, on December 11, 2018. Many digital infrastructure projects in Zambia, like the more visible airport terminals and highways, are being built and financed by China. Photo: Bloomberg
Sam Olsen
Opinion

Opinion

The View by Sam Olsen

Instead of targeting TikTok and WeChat, the US should work on an alternative to China’s digital silk road

  • From fibre-optic cables to health care connectivity in emerging markets, China’s digital silk road enables the country to gain both influence and commercial benefit
  • The US has been making headlines banning Chinese apps at home and opposing Huawei worldwide but offers no comparable programme to China’s

Sam Olsen
Sam Olsen

Updated: 4:10pm, 15 Oct, 2020

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A pedestrian passes the Huawei logo painted on a wall in Lusaka, Zambia, on December 11, 2018. Many digital infrastructure projects in Zambia, like the more visible airport terminals and highways, are being built and financed by China. Photo: Bloomberg A pedestrian passes the Huawei logo painted on a wall in Lusaka, Zambia, on December 11, 2018. Many digital infrastructure projects in Zambia, like the more visible airport terminals and highways, are being built and financed by China. Photo: Bloomberg
A pedestrian passes the Huawei logo painted on a wall in Lusaka, Zambia, on December 11, 2018. Many digital infrastructure projects in Zambia, like the more visible airport terminals and highways, are being built and financed by China. Photo: Bloomberg
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Sam Olsen

Sam Olsen

Sam Olsen is the co-founder of the strategic consultancy MetisAsia and the author of What China Wants. A former managing director at Kroll, he first visited China in 1996 and has lived in both Hong Kong and Singapore. He has also contributed to UK policy on foreign and trade affairs. Twitter: @samolsenx