US pressures Israel to stop China 5G investment
US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman on Tuesday urged
Israeli officials to stop Chinese investment of 5G in the country, Israeli
newspaper Haaretz reported.
This came during talks between Friedman, the Israeli
Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel and Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs
and Defence Committee Zvi Hauser.
Prior to this, the US had succeeded in persuading Israel to
cancel a contract with a Chinese firm intended to build a massive desalination
plants in Israel.
Haaretz reported that the Israeli government is facing two major
decisions related to the Chinese investment in the Israeli telecommunications
market.
The first decision, according to Haaretz, is the Israeli
purchase of Chinese equipment to set up and operate 5G networks. The second
decision is whether to allow China’s Hutchison firm to regain control of
Israel’s Partner mobile company.
Hutchison sold its controlling share in Israel’s Partner
company some ten years ago, and has recently applied to regain it, but is waiting
for approval from the Israeli Knesset.
The Israeli daily disclosed that the US, under President
Donald Trump, had put pressure on Israel, along with many of its allies, to
limit Chinese investment in the country as part of the two countries’ trade war,
with tensions soaring in recent months amid the coronavirus crisis.
Following three years of US pressure, in October the Israeli
security cabinet decided to establish a mechanism to monitor Chinese
investments.
Israeli media expert on military and defence issues, Amos
Harel, reported in Haaretz that Israel initially predicted that the US pressure
would have been a storm that would have passed in time, however, it resulted in
Israel being forced to choose one of the two relations that are both considered
vital.
Arab48.com reported on Wednesday that the US Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo, in a brief visit to Israel, has called on Israel to limit
Chinese investments in sites considered sensitive for the US army, such as
Haifa Port which regularly hosts US military boats.
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