US Prepares to Block China Test Line: Global Electronics Industry Threatened?

JAKARTA - The United States has again raised the tension of the technology war with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which will hold a vote at the end of April regarding a proposal to ban Chinese laboratories from testing electronic devices for the US market.

This step expands on previous policies that only target laboratories owned or controlled by the Chinese government. Now, all labs based in China have the potential to be banned from participating in the certification process for devices such as smartphones, cameras, and computers that will be marketed in the United States.

The FCC revealed that about 75 percent of global electronic devices are currently tested in Chinese laboratories - an figure that shows how deeply the world's technology supply chain depends on the country. If this ban is enacted, the impact could spread quickly: from delays in product launches to increased production costs.

Voting is scheduled for April 30, before going into the public comment phase and finalization of the rules. At the same time, the FCC is also preparing an accelerated certification path for devices tested in domestic or foreign laboratories that are considered not to be a risk to national security.

This policy is part of Washington's broader strategy to limit Beijing's technological influence. Previously, the FCC had included a number of Chinese technology giants such as Huawei, ZTE, Hikvision, Dahua Technology, and Hytera on a blacklist related to national security risks.

Not stopping there, the regulator also proposed a ban on importing devices from these companies, including products that had previously received distribution permits. This step triggered protests from Hikvision which considered the policy unfair because it was retroactive.

In recent months, the pressure has intensified. The FCC has banned the import of new Chinese drone models, as well as the country's latest consumer routers. Even earlier, several Chinese companies have also been blocked from providing telecommunications services in the US.

Behind this policy, there are two major narratives: national security and technological dominance. Washington wants to ensure that devices circulating in the domestic market are free from potential cyber threats. But on the other hand, this step also accelerates the fragmentation of the global supply chain - pushing the world towards an increasingly separate technological ecosystem between the Western and Eastern blocs.

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