In it, the authors examine the idea that the People’s Republic of China is using 5G to promote its commercial interests and advance digital authoritarianism abroad. They argue that this claim “may be overstated,” as they cannot say for certain that China’s use of 5G has “a clear political, strategic intent.” They also find that factors like geopolitical dynamics and local economic considerations limit China’s capacity for influencing governance.

“The threat of the spread of digital authoritarianism through China’s supply of 5G networks may be premature,” the authors write. “Nonetheless, the United States should maintain its diplomatic pressure on countries considering [Chinese company] Huawei as a 5G provider in order to highlight the geopolitical risks associated with greater dependence on Chinese digital infrastructure.”

Read the full article at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orbis.2022.02.013.