Departing US FCC chair says Chinese telecoms threats are top national security issue

Ajit Pai, outgoing US FCC chairman, says there is a ‘wide array’ of activity from China that is of concern, including surveillance, espionage and malware

During Pai’s tenure, which ended on Wednesday, the FCC cracked down on Chinese network manufacturers like Huawei and ZTE

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Ajit Pai was named US Federal Communications Commission chairman in January 2017 by former President Donald Trump and stepped down on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:46am, 21 Jan 2021Updated: 9:45am, 21 Jan 2021

Outgoing US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Ajit Pai said potential Chinese espionage and threats to US telecommunications networks and internet freedom are the biggest national security issue that regulators will face in the next four years.

Pai told Reuters in an interview there is a “wide array” of activity from China that was of concern, including of surveillance, economic espionage and potential “injection of malware into networks here in the United States or around the world. There are a number of bad things that can happen when insecure equipment is used to handle sensitive information”.

Pai was named chairman in January 2017 by former President Donald Trump and stepped down on Wednesday. During his tenure, the FCC cracked down on Chinese network manufacturers like Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE.

Last month, the FCC began the process of revoking China Telecom’s authorisation to operate in the United States. China Telecom is the largest Chinese telecommunications company.

“The Chinese Communist Party has a very determined world view. They want to dominate this space and exert their will – even beyond their own borders,” Pai said Tuesday. “That is a serious threat not just to internet freedom but to national security for us and for many of our allies.”

The Chinese foreign ministry said in December US claims about risks to national security were false.