US presses Syria to shift from Chinese telecoms systems, cites threat to national security
Washington warned Damascus, which is considering buying Chinese telecoms technology, to buy from US or allied states
The United States has warned Syria against relying on Chinese technology in its telecommunications sector, arguing it conflicts with US interests and threatens US national security, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
“The US side asked for clarity on the ministry’s plans regarding Chinese telecoms equipment,” said another source briefed on the talks.
But Syrian officials said infrastructure development projects were time critical and that Damascus was seeking greater vendor diversity, the source added.
Syria is open to partnering with US firms but the matter was urgent and export controls and “over-compliance” remained an issue, according to a person familiar with the meeting in San Francisco.