Despite the Trump administration’s recent decision to lift the ban on ZTE, Republican Senator Marco Rubio has voiced strong objections, asserting that legislation to bar Chinese telecom firms from operating in the United States would receive broad, bipartisan support in Congress.
Earlier this month, Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE was prohibited from conducting business in the US after US officials alleged breaches of export controls and repeated false statements. The company has estimated that the suspension of its US operations resulted in at least $3 billion in losses.
“None of these companies should be operating in this country,” Rubio declared.
The administration reversed the ban, a move President Trump linked on social media to ongoing trade negotiations with China and to his personal relationship with President Xi Jinping. That reversal drew widespread criticism across the political spectrum.
Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation, Senator Rubio warned that Congress would seek to block any similar deals. He argued that these companies pose national security risks, describing them as tools for espionage and asserting that most members of Congress now recognize the broader threat presented by China. “There’s a growing commitment in Congress to do something about what China is trying to do to the US, and this is a good place to start,” he said.
Some commentators have questioned the timing of the administration’s decision to lift the ZTE ban, suggesting it may have created opportunities for Trump’s family members to pursue business ventures and increase their wealth—allegations that have fueled accusations of corruption.
(Image credit: Marco Rubio by Gage Skidmore, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)
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