The Federal Communications Commission has voted to expand its technology crackdown on China, signaling that U.S. officials want tighter control not only over Chinese telecom equipment itself but also over the systems and institutions that help bring electronic devices into the American market. The FCC unanimously advanced a proposal to bar all Chinese laboratories from testing electronics such as smartphones, cameras, and computers for use in the United States. The agency says roughly 75% of all U.S. electronics are tested in China, which gives the move potentially broad consequences for how devices are certified and approved.
The proposal matters because product testing is a crucial gateway for electronics entering the U.S. market. If Chinese labs are cut out, manufacturers will have to shift certification work to laboratories in the United States or in countries that Washington does not see as posing national security risks. FCC is also planning a streamlined approval process for devices tested in those alternative labs, suggesting the agency wants to reduce dependence on Chinese infrastructure rather than simply create delays. That means the new crackdown is not just punitive. It is also an attempt to reroute a large part of the electronics compliance system away from China.
In a separate 3-0 vote, the commission also advanced a proposal aimed at Chinese telecom carriers and internet infrastructure. FCC moved to bar China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom from operating data centers in the United States and may also ban telecom carriers from interconnecting with companies on its national security “Covered List.” These companies had already been barred from operating in the U.S. directly, but the new action would reach further by targeting adjacent infrastructure relationships that could still give them a foothold in American networks.
The FCC is considering even broader limits. The agency may prohibit interconnection with companies that own data centers or points of presence at U.S. internet exchange points, extend restrictions to some affiliates of listed firms, and bar interconnection with carriers using equipment from suppliers already on the national security list, including Huawei and ZTE. FCC Chair Brendan Carr said the commission is considering a series of steps “to secure our networks from these bad actors,” including limiting their ability to interconnect. That language shows the agency is focusing not just on devices or licenses in isolation, but on the overall architecture of network connectivity.
This latest move builds on a much wider campaign. Earlier in April, the FCC proposed banning the import of equipment from Chinese manufacturers already on the Covered List, following earlier restrictions on approvals of new models in 2022. In October, the agency moved to revoke the U.S. operating rights of HKT, a leading Hong Kong carrier and subsidiary of PCCW. In December, it banned imports of all new models of Chinese drones, and last month it banned imports of new Chinese-made consumer routers. Viewed together, these steps show a strategy that is steadily widening from core telecom equipment to consumer electronics, drones, routers, testing labs, and now data-center interconnection.
The broader significance is that U.S.-China tech competition is increasingly being fought through infrastructure rules, certification systems, and network chokepoints rather than only through headline bans on famous brands. The FCC appears to be trying to eliminate hidden or indirect channels through which Chinese firms might still influence U.S. communications systems.
Overall, the FCC’s votes show a more aggressive and layered phase of the U.S. technology crackdown on China. Instead of targeting only specific companies or devices, the commission is now moving against the broader ecosystem that supports testing, approval, and connectivity. If these proposals are finalized, they could significantly reshape how electronics are certified for the U.S. market and how Chinese-linked telecom firms interact with American networks.
