US tech giants' China deals raise security risks
Many China companies involved in these partnerships have deep ties to the Chinese military
Hong Kong
ONE Chinese technology company receives crucial technical guidance from a former People's Liberation Army rear admiral. Another company developed the electronics on China's first atomic bomb. A third sells technology to China's air-to-air missile research academy. Their ties to the Chinese military run deep, and they all have something else in common: Each Chinese company counts one of America's tech giants - IBM, Cisco Systems or Microsoft - as a partner.
Such links, which are generally not well publicised, are now at the centre of a debate among some in the US defence community, including former US military officials, analysts and others. While the cross-border partnerships, under which US tech companies share, license or jointly develop advanced technologies with Chinese counterparts, are a growth area for business, security experts are increasingly questioning whether the deals harm US national security.
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