Trump Is Allowing China to Take Over Critical U.S. Tech

Peloni:  Why is Trump’s America First policy standing in line behind China?

by Gordon G. Chang  •  Gatestone Institute  •  February 20, 2026

The U.S. Department of Commerce has decided to allow American data centers to buy Chinese equipment, thereby permitting Beijing to steal as much as it wants and perhaps remotely control or take down these critical facilities. Commerce has also decided not to impose a ban on the U.S. operations of Chinese state-owned China Telecom.  Photo by NANSZEIQ HAZEIW 500 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikipedia

• The U.S. Department of Commerce has decided to allow American data centers to buy Chinese equipment, thereby permitting Beijing to steal as much as it wants and perhaps remotely control or take down these critical facilities. Moreover, Commerce recently has not implemented a number of other obviously needed restrictions on Chinese technology and Chinese companies.

• In general, Commerce has shifted its tech-security efforts away from China. Reuters states that late last year “leadership instructed staffers in the office charged with policing foreign tech threats to ‘focus on Iran and Russia.'” Last month, Commerce replaced the head of this office with a political appointee.
• Similarly, last year the administration did not, as it was contemplating, place critical export controls on software.
• Trade-surplus countries, such as China, have little ammunition in trade wars. They are the ones with everything — their surpluses — to lose. Trump should remember that the next time he refuses to keep out China’s Trojan Horse products and services, such as the internet services above.

The U.S. Department of Commerce has decided to allow American data centers to buy Chinese equipment, thereby permitting Beijing to steal as much as it wants and perhaps remotely control or take down these critical facilities. Moreover, Commerce recently has not implemented a number of other obviously needed restrictions on Chinese technology and Chinese companies.

The Trump administration’s effort to protect American infrastructure from China has collapsed. It now appears Beijing has a veto on American tech policy.

On February 12th, Reuters reported the Trump administration “has shelved a number of key tech security measures aimed at Beijing.”

The Commerce Department, in addition to not barring Chinese equipment from data centers, has decided not to impose a ban on the U.S. operations of Chinese state-owned China Telecom.

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