XinhuaCommentary:Washington'sexploitingclaimsof"nationalsecurity"threatensglobalprosperity_GuangmingOnlineXinhuaCommentary:Washington'sexploitingclaimsof"nationalsecurity"threatensglobalprosperityBEIJING,March18(Xinhua)--ProbingChineseelectricvehicles(EVs),replacingChina-madecranesatU.S.ports,slammingChina's5Gdevices...U.S.politiciansviewanythingimpedingU.S.hegemonyasapotentialthreattoU.S.nationalsecurity.Timeandagain,U.S.politicianshaveusedprotectionismasanationalsecurityconcern.Thestoryisanoldonebynow.Sadly,theyfailtorealizethatsuchmaneuversonlyexacerbateglobaldivisions,pushingtheworldfurtherintofragmentationandconfrontation.Washington'sferventwitch-huntagainstChina'stechcompanies,ostensiblyunderthebannerofnationalsecurity,lacksbothevidenceandtechnicaljustification.ItisabaselesspretextemployedtohinderChina'stechnologicalprogress.ThesuppressionofHuawei,China'stopproviderof5Gequipment,isaclearexampleofthis.WashingtonhassanctionedHuaweiunderthepretenseofnationalsecurityandpressuredothercountriestoblock5GdevicesfromChina.However,therehasneverbeenasinglecybersecurityincidentinvolvingHuaweiproductsoratappingorsurveillanceoperation.A2019reportbytheGermandailyDerTagesspiegelsaidthatafteryearsofreview,theBritishgovernment,Germany'sFederalOfficeforInformationSecurityandtheEuropeanCommissionfailedtofindanybackdoorinHuawei.Furthermore,theso-calledsecuritybreachesofChina-madecranesatU.S.portsaretrumpedevidencetosuppressleadingChinesemanufacturers.TheBaltimoreportpurchasedfourcranesfromChinesemanufacturerZPMCandhasn'tfoundanyissueswhileassemblingandtestingthem,TheWallStreetJournalreported,citingWilliamDoyle,executivedirectoroftheMarylandPortAdministration.EchoingDoyle,CaryDavis,generalcounseloftheAmericanAssociationofPortAuthorities,saidtherehavebeennoknownsecuritybreachesfromChina-madecranes."Ilikeagoodspymovie,butyouneedasmokingguntomakeitablockbuster,andthere'snosmokeinthisstory,"hesaid.Protectionistclaimsmadeunderthepretextofnationalsecuritydonotfooltheworld.Infact,self-servingactsbasedongroundlessaccusationshavesparkedaninternationaloutcry.ArecentproposalbyGermanpoliticianstorestrictHuaweihastriggeredstrongoppositionfromtelecommunicationoperators.IndustryinsidersestimatedthatexcludingHuaweiequipmentfromGermany'sexistingcommunicationnetworkwouldresultinbillionsofeurosinadditionalcostsandsetbackthedevelopmentofGermanmobilescommunicationtechnologyforseveralyears.TheEuropeanCommission'santi-subsidyinvestigationintoChineseEVshasalsoprompteddissatisfactionamongmanycarmanufacturersandconsumers.Infact,ChineseEVshaveexperiencedsignificantgrowthintheEuropeanUnionbecauseofglobalcompaniesintheChinesemarket.AlargeportionofChina'sEVexportscomefromforeign-fundedenterprises.Theanti-subsidyprobewillnotonlydepriveEuropeanconsumersofcheaperandbetteroptionsbutalsoaffectthefuturedevelopmentoftheseforeigncompanies.U.S.politiciansoftenrelyonfar-fetchedclaimstojustifytheirprotectionisttactics,sometimesresortingtoridicule."Imagineaworldwith3millionChinesevehiclesontheroadsofAmerica,andBeijingcanturnthemoffatthesametime,"U.S.CommerceSecretaryGinaRaimondorecentlyclaimedinavideoclipthatwentviralonline.Followingthisillogicalreasoning,shouldtherestoftheworlddreadthepossibilityofWashingtonarbitrarilydisablingiconicU.S.productslikeiphonesssorTeslas?Shouldothernationsadoptsuchprotectioniststances,restrictingtechnologicalexchangebeyondtheirbordersandjeopardizingtoday'sglobaldigitaltechnologyproductsandtrade?Protectionistmeasuresdisguisedasnationalsecurityconcernsharmeconomicgrowthandtechnologicaladvancement.Isolationismandprotectionismdonotfosterprosperity;instead,progresscanbeachievedonlythroughopennessandcooperation.■Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.