China has overtaken the United States as a pioneer of wireless telecommunications, U.S. officials concede in conversations with developing countries. But they argue that the costs of Chinese tech outweigh the benefits.

“Right now, the U.S. and the West don’t offer a comparable alternative,” a State Department official told reporters this week. Verizon launched a 5G network in two U.S. cities last week, but American technology is still in its infancy.