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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released the following statement today after the United States and British governments took joint actions to protect national security interests and counter the growing threat posed by Chinese telecommunications:
 
“I applaud the Trump Administration for working with Britain to warn against the growing national security threat posed by Chinese telecommunications components embedded in networks, systems and devices that we rely on for critical infrastructure and our daily lives. I also commend the Commerce Department’s announcement of an export ban to block American companies from selling products or providing services to ZTE. 
 
“Foreign adversaries are seeking to lay the groundwork for the cyber battles of the future by embedding their technologies in systems we depend on. The United States and our allies must take proactive steps to deny the Chinese government and Communist Party access to our networks, sensitive data, and the personal information of the American people. In particular, I urge state and local governments to reject the temptation of low-cost Chinese equipment that comes with very long strings attached.”
 
Background:  In February, Senators Rubio and Cotton introduced the Defending U.S. Government Communications Act, legislation that would prohibit the United States government from purchasing or leasing telecommunications equipment and/or services from Huawei, ZTE, or any subsidiaries or affiliates. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Rubio is pushing to bar Congress from purchasing Chinese telecom in the FY19 Legislative Branch bill.