US bans China telecom over national security concerns

Washington: The United States on Tuesday banned China Telecom from operating in the country citing "significant" national security concerns, further straining already tense relations between the superpowers.

The move marks the latest salvo in a long-running standoff that has pitted the world's biggest two economies against each other over a range of issues including Taiwan, Hong Kong, human rights, trade and technology.

It also comes as US President Joe Biden presses ahead with a hardline policy against Beijing broadly in line with that of his predecessor Donald Trump, whose bombastic approach sent tensions soaring.


The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ordered China Telecom Americas to discontinue its services within 60 days, ending a nearly 20-year operation in the United States.

The firm's "ownership and control by the Chinese government raise significant national security and law enforcement risks," the FCC said in a statement.