US regulators expelling Chinese phone carrier as national security threat

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is expelling a Chinese phone carrier from the U.S., saying they are a national security threat.

The FCC approved an order Tuesday that expels China Telecom Americas Corp. from the U.S. market in 60 days, The Associated Press reported. 

The company has to cease providing domestic interstate and international service, as the FCC says China could use it to “engage in espionage and other harmful activities against the United States.”

China Telecom was already taken off the U.S. stock exchange by the Trump administration due to concerns about the state-owned company working with the military, according to the AP.

The FCC said in a previous statement about the company that its communications “demonstrate a lack of candor, trustworthiness and reliability.”

China has not yet announced any moves against the U.S. for the ousting of its firms but has previously said they would protect their companies from U.S. backlash.

The Hill has reached out to the FCC for comment.