Security Issues and Chinese Telecommunications Companies Huawei and ZTE

The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence initiated an investigation in November 2011 to inquire into the counter-intelligence and security threat posed by Chinese telecommunications companies doing business in the United States. Prior to initiating the formal investigation, the Committee performed a preliminary review of the issue, which confirmed significant gaps in available information about the Chinese telecommunications sector, the histories and operations of specific companies operating the U.S., and those companies' potential ties to the Chinese state. This book examines the potential security threat posed by Chinese telecommunications companies with potential ties to the Chinese government or military. In particular, to the extent these companies are influenced by the state, or provide Chinese intelligence services access to telecommunication networks, the opportunity exists for further economic and foreign espionage by a foreign nation-state already known to be a major perpetrator of cyber espionage.