Expert warns Western democracies are struggling to remove Beijing’s technology footprint
Western democracies allowed China to penetrate deeply into critical sectors and are now struggling to reduce that dependence, East and Southeast Asia expert Artur Kharytonov, president of the Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine, told Radio NV.
Western democracies have allowed China to deeply infiltrate critical sectors, now struggling to diminish their dependence on Chinese technology, according to Artur Kharytonov, president of the Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine. The expert, speaking to Radio NV, described China as a "very dangerous and rapidly developing disease for all democracies." Kharytonov highlighted that the West permitted China extraordinary access to their vital sectors, and now they are grappling with expelling that influence.
Despite efforts to remove Chinese technologies and bans on using public funds to purchase Chinese equipment, some earlier purchases may still contain Chinese components, Kharytonov noted. He criticized the leadership of some EU countries and subordinate institutions for their perceived "amateurism" and "infantilism," suggesting that some equipment procured years ago remains in use due to lack of replacement or potential corruption.
China-related technology risks are closely monitored by the United Kingdom, while Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovakia face similar challenges with Chinese technological penetration as Ukraine. The European Commission is preparing a new European security strategy by the end of 2026 to detail the necessity of eliminating dependence on Chinese technology and the associated threats, particularly in future procurement.
Recent reports indicate that Britain’s Royal Navy elite units are using unmanned surface vessels with Chinese-made components transmitting signals to China. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is considering banning imports of Chinese optical transceivers used in data centers to prevent potential data theft, malware installation, or infrastructure disruption.
Huawei equipment, once widespread in the U.S., is now difficult to eliminate. The Pentagon has added Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, search provider Baidu, and automakers BYD and NIO to a list of companies believed to support China’s military.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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