JUST IN: China wins global 5G battle, Southcom commander says
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China continues to grow militarily and economically, aiming to overtake the United States as the world’s leading power. The US needs to invest in military modernization to deter China, but it also needs to become a big player in the 5G wireless network industry, the commander of US Southern Command said.
Army Gen. Laura Richardson said China’s current strategy to defeat the United States is to invest in critical infrastructure.
“What the People’s Republic of China is doing looks like investment, but it’s actually what we call exploitation,” Richardson said during a panel discussion hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Aug. 4. Ta.
Richardson said China currently outpaces the United States in the wireless network market, particularly in 5G technology. “Five countries have China’s backbone for her 5G. 24 countries have China’s her 3G or 4G backbone,” she said. And what typically happens, she added, is that countries with older technology are “offered an upgrade to 5G at almost zero cost.”
“If you really need help, you’re going to rely on the person who’s there. Someone will throw you a rope, but you don’t have to look at who’s giving you the rope,” Richardson continued. Ta. “Just grab it. We need an alternative to China, and if we can’t compete there, China will choose it. It’s not a matter of choice. They have to accept it. right.”
The United States must be able to offer alternative means, companies, and options to provide 5G network access so that other countries do not have to rely on China’s backbone for 5G.
“That’s where we’re losing the competition to the Chinese right now,” she said.
Sharing information between military allies using 5G networks is critical, but even more important is relying on completely secure networks, he said.
Richardson said the United States needs a wireless network, “not a Chinese network that we know has backdoors that allow us to get information that we don’t want China to know.” “We have to be able to continue those [information sharing] We conclude agreements and continue to work very seamlessly with our partners. ”
Richardson said people need to remember that China is not strictly an Indo-Pacific threat, but a global power. China has long invested in critical infrastructure as part of its Belt and Road Initiative.
“They’re in deep sea ports. They’re in space. They’re inside Earth,” she said. “They’re in my hemisphere. They’re in my Southcom operating area.”
He said China’s infrastructure investments in the Western Hemisphere are about five to seven years behind the investments China has made in Africa. In particular, China is building capacity around the Panama Canal and the Strait of Magellan, which are strategic waterways.
“We don’t have any Chinese bases in this hemisphere yet, but when you look at all these significant infrastructure investments; [Belt and Road] “It’s a project that might come to fruition someday,” she said.
topic: global defense market, international
