"Is It Security or Economy for Han?"... US Congress Proposes Law to Reconsider US Troop Deployment if Huawei Is Used

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] The U.S. Congress has included a new provision in the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that calls for 'reconsideration' of deploying U.S. troops and major military equipment to countries using 5G technology from Chinese companies such as Huawei. If this bill passes soon, South Korea will face a difficult decision between 'security' and 'economy.'

On the 6th, foreign media including Hong Kong's South China Morning Post reported from Washington that the U.S. Congress has included a clause in the Fiscal Year 2021 NDAA requiring the Department of Defense to reconsider sending troops and equipment to countries using 5G technology from Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE.

According to the bill, when the U.S. Department of Defense deploys units and equipment overseas, it must consider the potential risks that the 5G network of the host country may pose to personnel, equipment, and operations. This bill specifically points out the risks posed by China's leading telecommunications equipment companies, Huawei and ZTE.

The U.S. Congress is expected to process the FY2021 NDAA containing this provision within days.

The U.S. military units subject to this law are battalion-sized units of about 1,000 personnel or larger. The equipment subject to the law is classified as 'major weapon systems.'

So far, the Trump administration has strongly urged allies and friendly countries, including South Korea, to exclude Chinese companies such as Huawei from 5G network construction projects, citing concerns that 5G equipment from Chinese telecommunications companies could be exploited for Chinese espionage activities.

Due to the U.S.'s active stance, the United Kingdom reversed its initial position and excluded Huawei from its 5G construction projects.

Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the number of countries participating in the 'Clean Network' initiative, which excludes Chinese companies, has exceeded 50.

Su Kim, a former U.S. intelligence analyst at the RAND Corporation, said, "If this law passes, U.S. allies like South Korea may face difficult choices," adding, "South Korea will find itself caught between its security relationship with the U.S. and its trade partnership with China. Ultimately, it is a matter of security versus economy for South Korea."

Meanwhile, among South Korean mobile carriers, LG Uplus partially uses Huawei's 5G network equipment such as base stations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.