Since Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met in South Korea in October, the US government has largely taken a less aggressive stance towards Beijing to avoid derailing the trade war ceasefire the leaders struck at the summit.But as Trump and Xi prepare to meet in Beijing this week, one agency has been quietly taking action on security threats from China that impact US consumers — the Federal Communications Commission.
FCC chair Brendan Carr has in recent months spearheaded measures to reduce Beijing’s espionage and security threats, including by blocking Chinese companies from selling drones and internet routers in the US.
Last month, the agency voted to proceed with a proposal to ban Chinese labs from carrying out tests for consumer electronics — everything from baby monitors to phones — as part of the process required to obtain FCC certification for sale in the US.