Welcome to the Stealth War Newsletter, a collection of the top 5 recent news items, collected on The Jamestown Foundation’s new website, stealth-war.org. To continue to receive this weekly collection, click the button below to subscribe.
The potential number of troops China still has stationed near its border with India, including in territory claimed by New Delhi. The border dispute began in May and resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers in June. Although the sides have recently engaged in deescalatory moves, China and India have both mobilized large amounts of troops and heavy equipment to the disputed region.
Stealth War Flyover
The Jamestown Foundation is proud to release the inaugural episode of a new video series, Stealth War Flyover. Part of Jamestown’s new website, Stealth War, this periodic series will feature Brigadier General (ret.) Robert Spalding and Jamestown Foundation President Glen Howard dissecting the latest news in the ongoing competition between China and the United States.In this first episode, Howard and Spalding discuss the recent decision by the United Kingdom to ban Huawei from its 5G infrastructure; the announcement by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company that they will cease processing new orders from Huawei; and the sudden closure of China’s Consulate in Houston.
The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) confirmed on July 16 that they will no longer be processing new orders from Huawei in order to comply with new U.S. regulations. The new export controls force non-U.S. chip companies to apply for licenses to use American technology and tools to supply to Huawei. TSMC controls nearly 55% of the global chipmaking industry, and previously supplied 90% of Huawei’s smartphone chips.
The Trump administration ordered the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston on late Tuesday evening. The consulate was given 72 hours to completely close, resulting in dramatic images of Chinese diplomats burning documents in the consulate’s courtyard. The U.S. administration has since come forward with details explaining the decision to close the consulate, saying the building was of several facilities from which China engaged in influence operations. However, despite an interview with Politico in which Cai Wei, the Chinese Consul General in Houston, said the consulate will remain open “until further notice,” U.S. federal agents entered the consulate grounds this past Friday.
Tensions are rising in the South China Sea. The announcement by the State Department on July 13 declaring that the United States now considers Chinese maritime territorial claims to be illegitimate has been followed by threatening commentary between Chinese state-backed media and American officials, and increased military activity in region.
Though the United Kingdom’s decision to phase out Huawei equipment from its 5G network by 2027 has dominated the news, lesser discussed is the status of Huawei in other European countries. Reuters has reported French officials are warning telecom operators that they will be unable to renew licenses allowing them to use Huawei equipment, potentially phasing the company out of France by 2028. In Italy, major telecoms company Telecom Italia has blocked Huawei from offering a tender to supply it with 5G equipment; and Italy is considering completely excluding Huawei from the country’s 5G network. Like Italy, the continent’s regional powerhouse, Germany, has yet to make a decision, a result of close trade relations with China which critics say Berlin is in fear of endangering.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke at the Nixon Presidential Library, where he remarked that engagement with China has failed. The Secretary described the Chinese Communist Party as a danger to the United States, pointing to the CCP’s early suppression of the coronavirus and widespread intellectual property against American companies. Pompeo’s speech comes after a series of remarks by other administration officials, including FBI Director Christopher Wray, Attorney General Bill Barr and National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien.
