A U.S. ban of China Telecom (Americas) Corp. by regulators signals an escalation of tensions as the world’s two largest economies clash over issues ranging from COVID-19 to cyberespionage and computer chips.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday voted 4-0 to cancel permission to operate in the U.S. for the unit of China Telecom, one of three leading communications providers in China.
Though the company doesn’t do a lot of business in the U.S., being barred from the market is significant on the heels of moves against other giants of China’s burgeoning technology industry — including its crown jewel, Huawei Technologies Co.