Chinese state media accuses Cisco of helping US spies, sees turnabout as fair play

We get the impression China isn't very happy that the names of Huawei and ZTE are being dragged through the mud in the US. Almost directly mirroring some American stances, state-backed Chinese media outlets such as China Economy & Informatization and People's Daily are raising alarm bells over Cisco's presence in a large amount of local network infrastructure, alleging that it's a potential backdoor for espionage; CE&I goes so far as to cite purported experts insisting that the US government could take over Chinese communications in a crisis. China Unicom is acting on the threat by phasing out Cisco gear, the magazine says. Other allegations point to 72 members of Congress possibly being influenced by their Cisco shares and the ever-controversial Patriot Act aiding any nefarious plans. Given the publications' ultimate benefactors, the chances of politics skewing the agenda are high -- although the collective stance underscores just how much tension has surfaced ever since Chinese tech giants got the evil eye.

Filed under: Networking

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Via: Tech in Asia, The Register

Source: Sina (1), (2), People's Daily