Democratic rep says targeted sanctions on Huawei are ‘reasonable’

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said in an interview that aired Wednesday on “Rising” that Trump administration sanctions on companies like the Chinese telecom giant Huawei are reasonable, citing national security purposes.

“I do think Huawei has dangerous implementation of technology where there’s a risk of spying, there’s a risk of the Chinese government subsidizing them,” Khanna told Hill.TV’s Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti.

“While I don’t support the president’s broader trade war of tariffs, I think having targeted sanctions on a company like Huawei to ensure that our security isn’t compromised is reasonable,” he continued.

The Trump administration is working to prevent the Chinese telecommunications company from assisting U.S. allies in developing next-generation wireless infrastructure.

President Trump signed an executive order earlier this month directed at blocking foreign tech companies, like Huawei, from doing business in the U.S. if they are deemed a national security threat.

Khanna acknowledged the need for 5G technology in the U.S. and floated working with other companies like Scandinavian telecom giants Ericsson and Nokia.

“There are other ways to make sure Americans have access to affordable technology. We don’t need to rely on Chinese subsidies to do that. We have the resources here,” Khanna said. “I want to make sure that 5G technology is developed in the United States or you can look at Ericsson or Nokia or other alternatives to Huawei to develop that.”

— Julia Manchester