The Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has called for the blacklisting of Quectel Wireless Solutions, a global supplier of Chinese cellular modules, Wi-Fi modules, and other technologies. The request arises from suspicions of Quectel's links to the Chinese military.
Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), Chairman of the Select Committee, and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), have conveyed national security concerns to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen about Quectel. According to a press release from the Select Committee on the CCP, Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi urged for Quectel's inclusion in the blacklist due to its "problematic relationships with a civil-military fusion arm of the Chinese government and with blacklisted firms like Huawei, ZTE, and other Chinese military companies."
In August, the leaders of the Select Committee addressed Jessica Rosenworcel, Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission. They sought information about security concerns associated with Chinese cellular modules affecting American electronic devices and potential threats to national security concerning American Internet of Things (IoT) devices. IoT devices encompass any gadgets capable of using internet during operation.
Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi stated in their letter to Austin and Yellen that they had obtained information about Quectel which raises questions about whether it meets legal requirements for addition to the blacklist. "Quectel, based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), is the world’s largest supplier of cellular IoT modules and is currently gaining market share in the U.S. With tens of millions of Quectel modules in smart devices across the country, its status as a contributor to the PRC military—the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)—is highly relevant," they said.
The Select Committee on the CCP was established under Gallagher's chairmanship to counteract CCP influence. This bipartisan committee is committed to "working on a bipartisan basis to build consensus on the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party and develop a plan of action to defend the American people, our economy, and our values". Its members include representatives such as Michelle Steel (R-Calif.), Andy Barr (R-Ky.), Shontel Brown (D-Ohio), Jake Auchincloss (Mass.), among others.
