Chinese telecom firms operated for decades in US without proper oversight

A trio of Chinese telecommunications companies operated in the US for roughly two decades without proper oversight from government agencies, according to a report on Tuesday.

The bipartisan Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations found failure to respond to national security threats posed by three firms – China Telecom Americas, China Unicom Americas and ComNet USA, The Hill reported.

Since 2002, the three companies have built relationships with major US carriers and established a presence across the country.

The Federal Communications Commission used Team Telecom, made up from officials in the departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Defense, to oversee foreign telecom companies, the report said.

But the Senate report noted that Team Telecom did not have the statutory authority and resources to carry out that role.

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