MUNICH — Chinese authorities have taken a series of “nefarious” actions that prove the necessity of keeping the communist regime out of Western telecommunications systems and other sensitive economic areas, according to Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
“We feel that the choice is clear, but recognize it may be tough, that the economic challenges may take a toll in the short run, but that our collective future may hang in the balance if we fail to make the hard choices now for the long run,” Esper told the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.
Esper amplified White House and State Department pleas for European allies to bar Huawei and other Chinese companies from building their next generation of wireless technology by reiterating that such partnerships could jeopardize intelligence-sharing relationships. He offered an extensive critique of Beijing, setting the table for a rejection of the impulse to make short-term economic deals that come with a long-term strategic cost.
“In the long run, developing our own secure 5G networks will far outweigh any perceived gains from partnering with heavily subsidized Chinese providers that ultimately answer to party leadership,” Esper told the conference. “In short: Let’s be smart, let’s learn from the past, and let’s get 5G right so we don’t regret our decisions later.”
European officials largely have rebuffed such warnings over the last year, citing a lack of “alternatives” to Huawei’s ultra low-cost 5G package. U.S. officials have argued that Western companies can provide those services, while pointing to the low cost of Huawei’s sales pitch as evidence that Beijing sees the company as a strategic asset rather than an economic deal.
“We can’t say ‘do nothing’ and leave this space open,” Esper conceded during a brief question-and-answer session. The Pentagon has been hosting telecommunications developers at “a handful of our military bases” to test 5G prototypes. “We’ll fully work on this hand-in-glove with our commercial vendors to make sure we could advance this technology.”
The suggestion that Huawei could undermine intelligence-sharing between allies has been tested by the United Kingdom’s decision to grant Huawei limited access to the country’s 5G networks. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told British officials such a move would create “real risk” that the United States would have to limit intelligence-sharing between Washington and London, but U.S. officials have softened that line despite their disappointment with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s policy.
The defense secretary demurred when asked if he would “stop sharing intel” with the U.K. as a response, saying he needed to study the country’s policy and is holding out hope that they might change course.
“I haven’t yet been able to digest what the U.K. has proposed; just because you take one step forward doesn’t mean you can’t take two steps back,” Esper said during the question-and-answer session.
Esper, who identified China as “the Pentagon’s top concern,” maintained in his formal remarks that the 5G controversy is just one aspect of a Beijing agenda that could pose an existential threat to Western society.
“If the PRC will not change its ways, then defending this system must be our collective priority,” he said, using the acronym for the People’s Republic of China. “We can only do this by making greater investments in our common defense, by making the hard economic and commercial choices needed to prioritize our shared security, and by working together to maintain a ready and capable alliance network that is prepared to deter any threat, defend any ally, and defeat any foe.”
