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From the absurd claim that "Chinese masks contain 5G antennas that can emit waves causing brain cancer," to questioning TikTok's CEO, Shou Zi Chew, with "Does this app connect to home WIFI?", it seems that some US lawmakers are suffering from a persecution complex, and this time, TP-Link has become their "imaginary enemy"...

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US Lawmakers Rehash "National Security Risks"

Recently, a US lawmaker made a laughable statement at a congressional hearing, claiming that the equipment produced by the well-known Chinese router brand TP-Link poses safety risks and could threaten US national security. The lawmaker alleged that TP-Link routers have built-in capabilities to monitor the online activities of US citizens and transmit data to a mysterious backdoor program controlled by the Chinese government. This statement immediately attracted widespread attention and discussion.

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In fact, this is not the first time US lawmakers have made baseless accusations against Chinese technology products. Previously, they targeted well-known Chinese communication companies such as Huawei and ZTE, claiming that their equipment poses safety risks and could threaten US national security. However, after multiple investigations, these accusations were proven to be groundless.

The TP-Link incident once again reveals the prejudice and unfounded concerns of some US lawmakers towards Chinese technology companies. They use the so-called "national security" as an excuse to discredit Chinese technology products, attempting to hinder the development of Chinese companies in the international market. This approach not only damages the reputation of Chinese companies but also harms the interests of US consumers.

Reuters reported that the US Department of Commerce will respond to the lawmakers' joint letter through appropriate channels. TP-Link did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Chinese Embassy in the United States emphasized that it hopes the US authorities will "have sufficient evidence when confirming cyber-related incidents, rather than making baseless speculations and accusations."The "Voltaic Typhoon" Incident Framed Against My Country

Last year, the United States hyped up a so-called cyber attack event allegedly "related to the Chinese government" orchestrated by a hacker group. This event involved a hacker group known as "Voltaic Typhoon." According to reports from the National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center of China and other cybersecurity organizations, this incident was actually a false narrative operation planned by U.S. government agencies, aimed at discrediting China and maintaining American cyber hegemony.

The concept of "Voltaic Typhoon" originated from a technical report released by Microsoft Corporation of the United States on May 24, 2023. The report first disclosed a hacker group named "Voltaic Typhoon," claiming it to be a "state-supported entity" located in China, which has been conducting cyber attacks against Guam and critical infrastructure organizations in the United States since 2021. However, this claim has been widely questioned and refuted.

According to Tencent News, a report published by the National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center of China exposed the scandal of U.S. intelligence agencies using the unfounded excuse of "Chinese cyber attack threats" to defame China without any bottom line, in order to secure substantial funding from the U.S. government. The report mentioned that the U.S. House of Representatives had discussed the "Voltaic Typhoon" hacker group, but a joint investigation technical team from China found that the related accusations lacked evidence and were purely framed.

The U.S. government's actions are considered to be based on cognitive domain operations with targeted advertising delivery, abusing its administrative power, manipulating cybersecurity companies and other administrative agencies, and creating and sensationalizing the "Chinese cyber threat theory" by producing and spreading false information. This has deceived American taxpayers and congressmen, infringed upon the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, and pushed for the approval and continuation of Section 702 of the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), as well as for Congress to approve a larger budget for further consolidating and strengthening the cyber penetration capabilities of U.S. intelligence agencies.

Reports from Xinhua News Agency pointed out that the so-called "hacker group with a background of Chinese government support" lacks sufficient evidence, and Microsoft's technical analysis report did not detail the process of traceability analysis, which has brought difficulties to evidence collection and traceability work. In addition, some experts believe that "Voltaic Typhoon" is actually a network crime gang of ransomware, not the so-called state-supported hacker group. U.S. cybersecurity organizations also stated that there is insufficient evidence of "Voltaic Typhoon" hacker group having a "Chinese government support background."

Further investigation and analysis show that there are inconsistencies in the statements of the U.S. government, cybersecurity companies, and news media when dealing with the "Voltaic Typhoon" incident, and even phenomena of report modification have occurred. Australian IT experts also criticized the United States for using "Voltaic Typhoon" to hype up the "Chinese threat theory," considering it to be a dangerous and misleading behavior.Vortex of Chinese Internet Enterprises

The Chinese internet enterprises targeted by the United States are not limited to TP-Link and the previously mentioned ZTE. The Chinese company Hytera was previously banned by a U.S. court from selling two-way radio technology products globally due to the infringement of Motorola's trade secrets and copyrights, and faces a fine of 1 million U.S. dollars per day. In addition, the U.S. has conducted a risk investigation on China's three major telecommunications operators—China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom—due to concerns that these operators may steal data through their cloud services in the United States.

The U.S. focus on Chinese internet enterprises is primarily due to the intensifying competition and rivalry between China and the U.S. in cyberspace. This competition extends beyond cybersecurity issues to encompass economic, trade, political, and diplomatic fields.

Strategically, the U.S. views China as one of the main challengers to its global hegemony, especially in the field of information and communication technology. The U.S. believes that China's rapid development could shake its dominant position in cyberspace, thus adopting a series of measures to curb China's development. For example, the U.S. has restricted the global business of Chinese internet enterprises through the "Clean Network Program" and has been rallying other countries to join this initiative worldwide, aiming to decouple from Chinese telecommunications and internet enterprises.

The suppression of Chinese internet enterprises by the U.S. is also closely related to its national security and economic security. The U.S. government has repeatedly imposed sanctions and restrictions on Chinese technology companies under the pretext of "national security risks," including placing them on the entity list and prohibiting the use of their products and services. These actions are designed to protect the interests of American companies and prevent China from obtaining key technologies.

Furthermore, the U.S. has accused China of engaging in cyber espionage and commercial theft, believing that China steals confidential information and technical data from American companies through cyber means. These accusations have further exacerbated tensions between the two countries and have become an excuse for the U.S. to take tough measures against China.

In terms of technological competition, the competition in data security and the field of information technology is particularly prominent. A report from the Brookings Institution in the U.S. points out that technological competition is one of the primary foreign policy challenges in the current China-U.S. relationship, and the field of data security has become a new frontier in Sino-American technological competition. The U.S. is attempting to suppress Chinese internet enterprises through financial, technological, and legal means to maintain its competitive advantage in the global market, and it is believed that similar persecution complex will continue to manifest.