Trump directs authorities to reduce procurement from China

In one other motion towards China days earlier than he leaves workplace, U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday directed authorities departments to have a look at methods to reduce procurement of Chinese items and providers to cut back the dangers from espionage, his nationwide safety adviser stated, Trend stories citing Reuters.

In a press release, Robert O’Brien accused China of focusing on the data programs of the U.S. authorities for personnel data, navy plans, and different knowledge by means of cyber and different means.

“For this reason, the United States must take corresponding actions to protect American interests. We must adjust our regulations and policies and take other necessary actions to reduce the risk of PRC technical and human espionage activities directed at the Federal Government,” he stated, referring to the People’s Republic of China.

He stated Trump had directed authorities our bodies to conduct evaluations “to minimize the procurement of People’s Republic of China (PRC) goods and services by the Federal Government.”

O’Brien didn’t give examples of the procurement he referred to, however a senior administration official stated a key intention was to push again towards Chinese makes an attempt to infiltrate U.S. IT networks.

“Anything having to do with Chinese companies that are going to have kit components in our network could potentially become a vulnerability that could be used to continue China’s military-civil fusion strategy,” the official stated.

“If there’s hardware, for example, that would make its way into our networks, that’s the sort of stuff that could pose a potential vulnerability.”

The announcement comes lower than every week earlier than Trump leaves workplace to be succeeded by Democrat Joe Biden on Jan. 20. It was the newest in a sequence of steps focusing on China, which analysts see as a bid to lock in a tricky strategy to Beijing.

Trump has pursued hard-line insurance policies towards China on points starting from commerce to espionage and the coronavirus. Relations plummeted to their worst degree in a long time when he ramped up rhetoric in his unsuccessful re-election marketing campaign.