In another action against China days before he leaves office, U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday directed government departments to look at ways to minimize procurement of Chinese goods and services to reduce the risks from espionage, his national security adviser said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a statement, Robert O\u2019Brien accused China of targeting the information systems of the U.S. government for personnel records, military plans, and other data through cyber and other means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor this reason, the United States must take corresponding actions to protect American interests. We must adjust our regulations and policies and take other necessary actions to reduce the risk of PRC technical and human espionage activities directed at the Federal Government,\u201d he said, referring to the People\u2019s Republic of China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said Trump had directed government bodies to conduct reviews \u201cto minimize the procurement of People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC) goods and services by the Federal Government.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
O\u2019Brien did not give examples of the procurement he referred to, but a senior administration official said a key aim was to push back against Chinese attempts to infiltrate U.S. IT networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnything having to do with Chinese companies that are going to have kit components in our network could potentially become a vulnerability that could be used to continue China\u2019s military-civil fusion strategy,\u201d the official said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf there\u2019s hardware, for example, that would make its way into our networks, that\u2019s the sort of stuff that could pose a potential vulnerability.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The announcement comes less than a week before Trump leaves office to be succeeded by Democrat Joe Biden on Jan. 20. It was the latest in a series of steps targeting China, which analysts see as a bid to lock in a tough approach to Beijing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump has pursued hard-line policies toward China on issues ranging from trade to espionage and the coronavirus. Relations plummeted to their worst level in decades when he ramped up rhetoric in his unsuccessful re-election campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n