China Committee Targets PRC Telecoms

The House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party has issued subpoenas to China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom—three state-owned Chinese telecommunications firms—for failing to respond to a bipartisan request for information dated March 4.

The subpoenas, which require compliance by May 7, 2025, are part of an ongoing congressional investigation into whether the companies continue to operate within the United States in ways that may endanger national security or compromise the privacy of U.S. citizens.

While the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has previously barred all three firms from providing licensed telecom services in the United States, congressional investigators cite public reporting and classified intelligence indicating that the companies may still possess or manage equipment, software, and cloud infrastructure on American soil.

“These companies were blocked from U.S. networks because of their direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party,” said Committee Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI). “The American people deserve to know if Beijing is quietly using state-owned firms to infiltrate our critical infrastructure. The CCP’s refusal to play by the rules—and these companies’ refusal to provide basic transparency—is unacceptable.”

Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) echoed the warning: “China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom don’t just threaten U.S. national security—they’ve also blatantly defied a lawful congressional investigation. With these bipartisan subpoenas, they now face a clear choice: comply with the law or face the consequences.”

The Committee’s investigation focuses on potential activities by these companies in the U.S., including the maintenance of network Points of Presence (PoPs), operation of data centers, and provision of cloud-related services. Lawmakers are examining the implications of such operations for U.S. critical infrastructure and the potential for foreign intelligence exploitation.