Federal tech strategy against China sought by congressional leaders

CyberScoop reports that the U.S. has been urged by congressional leaders to shed more light on its plans in advancing the country's 6G telecommunications infrastructure and restricting Chinese technology within the country's supply chain.

The U.S. State Department should take the lead in promoting 6G technology after failing to curb China's global influence with 5G, wrote House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

"We have underestimated the impact of 5G and didn't invest enough in our own innovative capacity, or push for domestic and trusted partners to produce that technology and be able to purchase from them," said Krishnamoorthi in an interview, where he also criticized Congress for not providing adequate resources to replace Chinese equipment within U.S. networks.

Meanwhile, House Republican leaders have called on Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to not only probe but also prohibit Chinese and other adversarial equipment from the country's critical and emerging sectors.

"A compromised power grid, an infiltrated telecommunications network, or a manipulated industrial control system can pose as great a threat as a kinetic military strike," said the lawmakers.