• Research
  • Politika
  • About
Carnegie Russia Eurasia center logoCarnegie lettermark logo
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Lyu Jinghua"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
    "Carnegie China"
  ],
  "collections": [
    "Major Power Tech Relations"
  ],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "TIA",
  "programs": [
    "Technology and International Affairs"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Iran",
    "East Asia",
    "China"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Technology",
    "Economy",
    "Security"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

In The Media

The Race of Chinese Companies in the 5G Competition

With the potential of enabling not only significant economic growth but also the innovation of critical technologies in various fields, both the United States and China view 5G as one of the key influencing factors in the “great power competition.”

Link Copied
By Lyu Jinghua
Published on Sep 18, 2020

Source: Italian Institute for International Political Studies

With the potential of enabling not only significant economic growth but also the innovation of critical technologies in various fields, both the US and China view 5G as one of the key influencing factors in the “great power competition”. While the US believes that “the race to 5G is a race America must win”, China views it as representing the major leapfrog of its position in ICTs by describing the progress as “1G behind, 2G follow, 3G breakthrough, 4G synchronization, 5G leading”. Differently from competition in other traditional areas, companies rather than governments – the Chinese company Huawei as the most noticeable one – have played a significant role and become the pawns of the geopolitical game. Despite the obvious benefits such as lower costs and higher efficiency in using Huawei’s products, the company is now under huge pressure of being excluded from 5G networks by more and more Western economies – especially following Britain’s reversal of its decision.

All the declared concerns supporting the ban of Huawei, including the risks of surveillance and data collection and the potential vulnerabilities to cyberattacks or installed kill switches, sound reasonable at first. However, it is fair to say that these are inherent risks embedded in all ICT products. Why is Huawei so alarming, then? The frequently heard answer is that Huawei has much closer relations with the Chinse government than the usual ones, with three main accusations. Are they convincing enough?

Read Full Text

This article was originally published in the Italian Institute for International Political Studies.

About the Author

Lyu Jinghua

Former Visiting Scholar, Cyber Policy Initiative

Lyu Jinghua was a visiting scholar with Carnegie’s Cyber Policy Initiative. Her research focuses primarily on cybersecurity and China-U.S. defense relations.

    Recent Work

  • Paper
    China-U.S. Cyber-Nuclear C3 Stability
      • +4

      George Perkovich, Ariel (Eli) Levite, Lyu Jinghua, …

  • Q&A
    What Is the U.S. Ban on TikTok and WeChat All About?
      • Jon Bateman

      Jon Bateman, Lyu Jinghua

Lyu Jinghua
Former Visiting Scholar, Cyber Policy Initiative
TechnologyEconomySecurityIranEast AsiaChina

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    The Kremlin Can No Longer Postpone Hard Economic Decisions

    Depleted financial reserves and a shrinking tax base mean it is no longer possible to simultaneously deliver high defense spending, price stability, and economic growth.

      Alexandra Prokopenko

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Russia and the West Want Different Things From Telegram’s Durov

    While France and Australia are seeking to establish the legal obligations of messaging apps like Telegram, Russia wants total subordination.

      Maria Kolomychenko

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    As It Turns 25, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Reflects the New World Order

    With the growth in points of friction between the great powers, organizations like the SCO will continue to play a role in the strategic adaptation of the smaller powers caught between them.

      Temur Umarov

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    How the Kremlin Turned Tech Whiz-Kid VK Into a Loss-Making State Corporation

    The war in Ukraine and a change in ownership led VK to neglect its commercial ventures in favor of implementing the Kremlin’s online agenda. Now it’s been sanctioned by the EU.

      Maria Kolomychenko

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Russia Is Not Even a Contender in the Global AI Race

    When political power is concentrated in the hands of a small circle of people, a country invariably ends up with technological stagnation.

      Aleksei Kiselev

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
Carnegie Russia Eurasia logo, white
  • Research
  • Politika
  • About
  • Experts
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • For Media
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.