US Justice Department opposes high-speed cable link to Hong Kong

The United States (US) Justice Department has called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to block an undersea cable between the US and Hong Kong which is backed by Google and Facebook and would be the largest capacity link at 120 terabits per second between the US and Asia over security concerns. The Justice Department concerns arose as a significant investor in the project is a subsidiary of the fourth largest telecom service provider in China. Additionally, Chinese intelligence and cybersecurity laws require Chinese companies to provide government access to data and equipment. The Justice Department is supporting undersea cables between Taiwan, Philippines and the United States provided Chinese companies are excluded. The US State Department also plans to revoke Hong Kong’s trade status following China’s writing of new national security laws for Hong Kong.