Because it is concerned about security risks, Taiwan is following the U.S. and has launched an effort to limit government procurement of mainland technology products. Such services range from servers and cloud computing to other services and devices. It is expected that Chinese companies such as Alibaba, Huawei, Lenovo and Xiaomi will be affected.
A number of media reported in January that Taiwan is drafting a blacklist that prohibits all government agencies, organizations, and government-controlled companies from using electronic products from companies such as telecommunication equipment manufacturers Huawei and ZTE, and surveillance camera maker Hikvision.
On Friday April 19, the Taiwan Cabinet Executive Yuan announced an official guide stating that it will impose a ban on mainland telecom equipment, surveillance cameras, servers, webcams, drones, cloud computing services, software, anti-virus software, and consulting. At the same time, the scope of Taiwanese entities that must comply with the ban will also be extended to transportation companies, banks, and telecommunications. Government officials have proposed that private companies in high-tech industrial zones that the government runs should also follow this new regulation.
On Friday, the Nikkei Asian Review quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that major mainland technology companies – including Huawei, ZTE, Alibaba, Lenovo, Xiaomi, Baidu, Hikvision, Inspur (server supplier) and Dajiang (drone manufacturer) are likely to be on the list. Kaspersky Labs, the Russian anti-virus software company, is also on the list. According to the sources, technology products manufactured in the mainland and Russia are also under review in order for the Taiwan government to determine whether they should also be included in the ban.
During a press conference held on Friday night in Taipei, Kolas Yotaka, Executive House spokesman said that the blacklist will be completed in the next three months, but most of the equipment and services that Chinese and Russian companies have made could be included.
In her New Year’s speech that Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen delivered on January 1, she stated, “Before the long-term relationship between the two sides can be established, we must honestly face the national security threats and risks. . . . In particular, China (the CCP) is trying to use the openness and freedom of democratic institutions to intervene in Taiwan’s political and social development. This has become Taiwan’s biggest challenge at the moment. . . . I also asked the National Security Unit to pay attention to information security issues and to ensure that the security of critical infrastructure communications has no loopholes.”
Source: The Epoch Times, April 20, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/4/20/n11200834.htm
