India, US & Israel collaborate to end Chinese domination in 5G -

Washington: Bonnie Glick, a senior US official, justified the front formed by India, the United States and Israel in the 5G sector by saying that the United States feels that no single country should have a monopoly in the technology sector or should not pressurise other countries using that technology. China is pressurising the nations around the world to buy the 5G technology only from the leading Chinese companies ZTE and Huawei. The United States and the United Kingdom have taken the initiative against it and have started taking efforts to bring the leading countries in the technology sector together.

A few days ago, the think tank, Asia-Pacific Institute of the American Jewish Committee, had organised a virtual conference on the subject of technology cooperation. Along with the senior officials like Bonnie Glick, Vice President of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Sanjeev Singla, the Indian Ambassador to Israel, Ron Malka, the Israeli Ambassador to India, Nissim Reuben, Joint Director of Asia-Pacific Institute and Mr Rangaswami and Dr Bharat Barai from Indiaspora participated in the virtual conference. During the meeting, USAID Vice President Glick informed about the formation of the India-US-Israel front in the 5G sector. MR Rangaswami had presented the concept of Silicon Valley-Tel Aviv-Bengaluru Tech Triangle during the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Israel in 2017.

Chinese company Huawei is known as the leader in 5G technology. This company, having close links with the Chinese government and military, has undertaken a massive campaign to spread the 5G network in all the leading countries of the world. The Chinese government has used its might in finance and trade to force many countries, from Asia and Africa, to award the 5G implementation contract to Huawei. But due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Hong Kong national security law and activities in the South China Sea have created a massive discontent against China around the world. Because of this discontent, many leading countries are trying to break the chain formed by China in economic, trading and technology sectors.

A few months ago, the British government had proposed a D10 alliance against Chinese 5G technology. The alliance will have participation from the G7 countries along with India, Australia and South Korea. After that, this second front, India-US-Israel, is being formed. Bonnie Glick from USAID claimed that this is the first step by these countries in the 5G technology sector and is like the tip of the iceberg of cooperation, which will develop in the future. Glick assured that India-US-Israel is developing the Next Generation 5G Technology and this technology will be open, reliable and secured.

Since the last year, the Chinese Huawei company is at the centre of a global controversy regarding the 5G technology, and the United States has accused that this company is spying for the Chinese government. The US department of state has prepared Technology Trust Standards to avoid dealing with Chinese companies. Thirty countries around the world, along with the European Union and NATO, have welcomed the US stand. US President Donald Trump has even imposed a ban on the Chinese companies ZTE and Huawei citing national security. Hence, last month, the US and Israel have even signed a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the 5G technology.

There is a provision in the memorandum that Israel should not deal with companies linked with the Chinese Communist Party for the national security interests and personal information. Against the background of the tension with China, since the last few months, India has been making efforts to get active in the technology sector, and with the Indian inclusion in the new front, Chinese ambitions in the technology sector will be ruined.