Should the US Really Limit Chinese-Government Influenced IT Systems?

coondoggie writes "New federal restrictions now preclude four U.S. agencies from buying information-technology (IT) systems from manufacturers 'owned, directed or subsidized by the People's Republic of China' due to national-security concerns. But is this a smart tactic? It's clear that some in the U.S. government, including the House Intelligence Committee — which issued a scathing report last fall that called Huawei and ZTE a threat to national security — and the Treasury Department's Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. are also working in other ways behind the scenes to keep technology made by China-based manufacturers out of U.S. commercial networks as well."

Comments

Some, anyway

[Millennium]

When you know who the foxes are, you keep closer watch over the henhouse. That just makes sense. It can be argued that there's still a role for inclusivity, but it has to be tempered with a dose of common sense.

Re:Some, anyway

[Anonymous Coward]

It's wise and good security policy when China does it. If the US does it it's irrational, xenophobic, and probably racist (arguents which you will likely see in today's comments)

Re:Some, anyway

[Austerity Empowers]

Reminds me of a program manager I dealt with once. I was one foot out the door with offers on the table, having given up on my employer whose name rhymes with hell. I flat out refused to support an ODM design (I actually refused my entire 7 years there, but never was obvious about it). He asked me why, and I said I only support my local businesses. He wanted to bring me to HR for all sorts of racism, xenophobism, protectionism, insubordination, accusing me of trying to unionize, etc.

Then I asked him (knowing the answer), why we are using this ODM at all, and his response was that the end customer (a large Chinese company) will only purchase through (a large Chinese manufacturer) and they would only support locally designed products. I asked why they can't just take my working, tested, FCC approved design and he said they wanted to change components. I asked "What's wrong with the components on my board, is there a defect?", and he said "They're not made in China".

The worst part, the part that made me furious, is that he couldn't see my point. He kept spouting off capitalist slogans and telling me to read this inane book about the new global economy.

Seriously?

[saleenS281]

Is this even a real question? Of course they should. The Chinese government is openly attacking both corporate and government interests throughout the US. Why give them yet another avenue to attacks?

Re:Seriously?

[ebno-10db]

And you think the US isn't doing the same thing

What's your point? Maybe good advice to the Chinese government is not to use US made networking equipment (if there is such a thing anymore). That doesn't mean the US government avoiding Chinese equipment is a bad idea.

Re:Take it further

[rtb61]

More importantly by forcing local supply you enable continuity of supply and are never subject to a foreign government dictating levels of supply. Local sourcing of all goods for all national infrastructure projects should be compulsory regardless of cost to ensure all those national infrastructure projects can be maintained without being forced to gain approval from a foreign government to allow that supply. That is a sane logical thing to do by any government and failure to do so when it is readily possible to treasonously betray the citizens of that country to the demands of another country, apparently based purely upon corporate executive greed.

This will probably be my second shortest ever post

[redmid17]

Yes

Re:Full Retard Mode Activate!

[Anonymous Coward]

you basically can't buy a computer without having at least some of its parts source, assembled, or otherwise passing through China

For really top secret stuff, you can, they should, and they do. It goes as far as getting the NSA its own chip fabrication facility at ft. meade. Do you want to work there?