Chen Weihua

Pay the lobbyists to beat double standards

By Chen Weihua (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-03-14 07:54

Using the same logic, the Chinese government could restrict the business of companies such as PayPal, Amazon, Visa, MasterCard and Apple, all of which collaborated with the US government by cutting off their services to WikiLeaks after the release of US diplomatic cables. Who knows if these companies will collude with the US government one day and pose a threat to China's national security?

Huawei's mistake, as pointed out by many in the US, is that it did not do enough to develop relationships with US policymakers, government regulators and the media. The company may have been too naive in thinking that guanxi, connections, only applies to China. However, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, the total number of lobbyists in Washington DC amounted to 12,964 in 2010, with the spending on lobbying totaling $3.47 billion.

While CFIUS may owe everyone an open letter to explain and justify its decision to turn down Huawei, it might also be time for Huawei and other Chinese companies to invest in the infamous K Street in Washington DC, which is lined with numerous firms that lobby the government on behalf of a variety of interests. That might be the only way to win a business battle that has turned ideological.

The author is deputy editor of China Daily US edition. E-mail: chenweihua@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 03/14/2011 page8)