TRADE PROTECTIONISM AND CYBER ESPIONAGE ON GROUNDS OF NATIONAL SECURITY: HUAWEI AS POTENTIAL SECURITY THREAT TOWARDS UNITED STATES' TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE (2007-2014)

Abstract

Trade relation between United States and People's Republic of China has caused a number of mergers and acquisitions towards US companies by Chinese private firms, including Huawei. According to RAND study in 2005, Huawei was alleged as one of Chinese "national champions" that U.S. - China Economic and Security Commission (USCC) argued they are subject to Chinese government order. Besides, with the growing concerns of cyber espionage incidents emanating from China (such as Titan Rain in 2005, APT1 (also known as the "comment crew", and intellectual property theft), USCC suggested there had to be realistic assessment to secure US critical telecommunications infrastructure from Huawei that could possibly provide access for China to control US sensitive telecommunication equipment and infrastructure. Therefore, in this thesis, the writer aims to address US government's measures that applied trade protectionism through CFIUS and cyber espionage through NSA in order to deal with Huawei as potential security threat to US telecommunications infrastructure.